Blood Lines
by PaintedShadow
Summary: An unexpected turn of events forces Alicia to think about what's really important in life. Loosely based up to Season 5/ AU. Involves many characters but boils down to Alicia/Will.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story for The Good Wife fandom. The first chapter is short, but the chapters will become longer. I will say this now, there is no character death involved in this story. Happy Reading!**

**Blood Lines**

The car is packed up and the girls are en route to Indiana University in Indianapolis to visit her brother for the long weekend. Her mom only agreed because her dad was out of town on a business trip and she was going to be working late hours preparing for a court case that starts after the long weekend. What her mother didn't know was that she wasn't going alone. Two of her friends from school were in the care with her, singing along to the music that blasted through the speakers of the car. Leah was in the front passenger seat playing "co-pilot", with printed directions on the dashboard.

"Leah what exit do we take off I-90?"

"What?"

"What exit?!" she says trying to be louder than the blasting music.

"Ah!" Leah reaches forward, grabbing the sheet of the dash, "17."

"Thanks." The driver responds as she tried to take some deep breaths to calm her nerves. She knew she wasn't supposed to have friends in the car while she drives, but she didn't want to go alone. She wasn't used to driving with other people in the car—other than her mother, brother and occasionally her father. Thankfully, they were already in Indiana and it was a straight shot on I-65 to Indianapolis. She smiled and joined in with the singing and giggling with her friends until it started getting darker. Grey clouds had covered the sky and shielded the late afternoon sun.

Leah turned down the music when Shannon's phone continued to ring. Shannon who was sitting in the middle of the back seat with the belt loosely buckled, so she could lean forward to be part of the conversation, she leaned back to converse with her mom; telling her mom that she was staying at Leah's dad's house for the weekend, outside of Chicago. The girls in front were mildly concerned that they would get caught but then heard Shannon tell her mom off since her mom was going to be working the weekend. All the girls released sighs of relief when she hung up the phone and gave them the thumbs u, indicating that everything was okay. The girls' smiles and the driver turned up the music, singing along with renewed enthusiasm and energy.

As they continued on, the sky continued to darken, the clouds now completely covered the sky and raindrops started to fall on the windshield. Turning the wipers on, the driver turned the music own a little bit to help her focus better. They all rolled up the windows trying not to get wet.

_It's strange at how dark it gets when it is cloudy and grey; especially when the sun starts to set_. The driver thought.

"Leah, how many more minutes?"

"Uhh, about 50 minutes left, depending on traffic."

"50 MINUTES?" Shannon whines, popping her head between the two front seats. "Can we stop at that rest stop ahead to grab some food?"

Leah agrees with her, so the driver starts to take the off ramp.

After chowing down on pizza slices and soda, the girls use the restrooms and head back to the car, with a steady stream of rain falling from the clouds. "I'm going to fill the gas tank here before we continue." As she's filling the tank, she looks around at the surroundings and starts to worry about the limited light and the slick roads. She shakes her head and climbs into the car. Once back on the Interstate, Leah turns on the stereo to a different CD. Instead of singing along, the girls start chatting over the music, ragging on Shannon for almost getting them caught. The girls gossip and laugh about boys and other classmates. The driver turned to the side to make a comment to Leah when she heard a string of honks from behind her. Whipping her head straight to stare out at the road, she saw the car that was half in the shoulder, half in her lane, with the hazards on. She slammed on her brakes and swerved into the middle lane, barely avoiding hitting the back fender of the broken down car, when she heard a screeching sound then crunching metal. She couldn't move, she could only stare straight ahead at the woods in the median of the highway. That's when a car in the far left lane collided with the driver side of her car.

She heard people yelling and screaming.

Someone was touching her neck.

"Grace!" two terrified voices yelled.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I forgot to add the disclaimer to Chapter 1, I don't own The Good Wife. Here is chapter 2! I hope you enjoy!**

Alicia and several of the first and second year associates were shuffling through mountains upon mountains of papers and boxes that filled the conference room table. They were trying to find anything that could to help their client. It's been an all hands on deck situation for 24 hours already. Diane and Will were currently in Diane's office discussing matters with the client. A local city hospital was in deep waters when several patients died post-surgery.

Alicia was engrossed in a patient's medical chart when Will sat beside her, "How are things going? Find anything yet?"

When Alicia didn't respond, he placed his hand on her forearm, "Alicia?"

Startled out of her fixation, she looked over at Will, "this is interesting," she said, glancing down at her arm. "This patient's chart reads similar to that of one of the deceased, but this patient is alive." She continued, bringing her gaze back to Will.

"What are the similarities and differences?" Will inquired.

"Related to the hospital?" She questioned, continuing anyhow, "Same doctor, same surgeon, same surgery."

"And the differences?"

Alicia scrutinized the chart, "medication."

"What?"

"Difference dose of medication." Alicia stated. "This patient was given a lower dose of the same medication when compared to the victims."

Will leaned in to look at the chart she was still holding. Alicia savored the feeling of closeness. Which was take away by Will leaning forward, preparing to stand up, he paused to look at Alicia, "Go get Kalinda and have her check into surgeons, doctors, nurses, any hospital administration that could have modified this chart or administered drugs."

Alicia nodded, closed the folder and walked out of the conference room to locate Kalinda.

In the conference room Will gained the attention of all the associates, "We need split into groups, I need a few people to check all the patient charts and focus on the dosage of medication. We found a patient's chart where the only difference was the medication dose. I need the other group to continue separating these folders and organizing." With that he grabbed Alicia's remaining stack to sift through, knocking her phone off the stack. He picked up her phone and looked around, not seeing her he slide it into his pocket to give it to her when he saw her next.

After about 20 minutes, Alicia returned to the conference room, grabbing a seat next to Will. "Anything new?" Looking over at Will, who's shaking his head. Alicia grabbed a stack of folders and started sifting through sitting comfortably next to Will. She smiled slightly, enjoying the closeness they have been able to share even after they ended their relationship.

Diane popped her head in to tell the staff that pizza and salads were here. Will nods at Diane and walks over, "I would like everyone to have a break, maybe an hour? A morale booster since we will be here for a while longer." He explained.

She nodded her approval, "okay everyone," Diane started, "take an hour break, eat, sleep, relax, refresh yourself. We are in for the long haul with this one."

Will walked back to his seat to find Alicia looking on the floor. "Missing something?" He asked with a hint of amusement.

"My phone." Her response muffled.

Sliding his hand into his pocket, "here, it was on a stack of folders."

"Thanks," looking at the lock screen, seeing that it was after 6 o'clock, "I didn't realize what time it is!" Will eyebrows furrow, confused.

"Grace is driving to see Zach for the long weekend, I told her to call me when she arrived." She smiled and walked out of the conference room towards her office. Scrolling through all the missed calls, not recognizing the number, panic started building within her and she stopped walking to dial her voicemail. Listening to the voicemail, she props her hand against the hallway wall for support.

Will was standing outside the conference room talking with an associate about the case when he felt a chill go down his spine. He looked passed his associate, down the hall to see Alicia there, leaning against the wall with her head down.

"Alicia" he called, "are you okay?" When he didn't get a response, he started walking towards her. There has always been this nonverbal communication between them, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong and that scared him.

She turned around as he started to approach. "Will, I need to go." She urged with tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Will closed the gap between them, taking her arm, and leading her into a vacant office; the warmth from his hand helping to calm her. He pulled her into a hug, feeling her relax in his embrace. Ultimately allowing him to relax. He took a deep breath, smelling her perfume, another calming presence. "What's going on, Leesh?" he whispered in her ear while rubbing his hand across her back, feeling her rest her head against his shoulder.

"I need to go Will." Her tears starting to fall. "Something happened. I don't know what; I need to call the person back." She rushed the words out so fast because it caused more tears to fall.

Leading her to the couch, he reluctantly releases his arms so she could sit down. "Call whoever back, I'll be right here." He said, wrapping his arm across her shoulders. She nodded, clicking on the missed call number. Alicia's hand slides into Will's free hand intertwining their fingers, gaining the strength from him to press the green call button. Will gently squeezes her hand, letting her know that he's there. As she spoke on the phone, Will was staring at their hands and thought of how perfectly they fit together. How perfect it feels and how much he missed the time they spent together, lying in his bed after a blissful bout of love making. Remembering how Alicia would slide her hand into his and intertwine their fingers as they savored the moments in bed.

Alicia's raised voice brought him back to the moment. Running his thumb over the back of her hand, he tries to calm and reassure her without stealing her attention away from the phone. Her voice became louder again but it broke into sobs before she could finish getting the words out.

Will reached, grabbing the phone from her hand, and then curling her into his side as she continued to cry. Will heard the person on the other side call out her name, "This is her friend Will." He stated, carrying on the conversation, getting up to grab a piece of paper and a pen from the desk to write down the needed information.

"Alicia," he started, turning around to face the couch, realizing that she wasn't there. He rushed out of the office, running down the hallway looking for her. Finding Diane talking to an associate, "have you seen Alicia?" he interrupted. Diane pointed to the elevator causing Will to swear and start rushing towards the stairs, leaving Diane confused yet curious.

Will raced down the stairs, trying to make it to the parking garage before she did.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is another chapter. It's a longer one this time. Hope you enjoy! Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Good Wife.**

Will raced down the stairs nearly tripping and falling several times. Panic started to flow through his veins, not fully understanding the situation on one hand, but what he did understand was that the love of his life is emotionally fragile and needs him. Well at least that is what he likes to tell himself; that she needs him, not the other way around. The panic morphed into adrenaline, pushing himself to go faster. Whipping the door open, he rushes over to where the associates park. He sighed when he didn't see her car and starts rushing towards the exit, hoping to catch her.

He makes it to the exit to see her car turning out onto the street. Forging ahead, he runs through the exit and up the street, trying to keep her car in sight. _Just one red light, please._ He internally begs. Well if luck would have it, the light she was approaching turned yellow. What he didn't expect was for her to blow through the red light, causing multiple cars to sound their horns and yell swears out their windows.

Will stopped at that moment, there was no catching her. He reaches into his pocket to pull out his cell phone, finding the right number, he presses the green call button. It went straight to voicemail after two rings.

"Alicia, I know that we have had our ups and downs over the years but am here for you. I want t be here for you, helping you; especially through difficult times. If you don't want my help, I understand. I'll send you the address the person gave me." He pauses, trying to calm his emotions and breathe normally. "Leesh, please drive safe. I love you."

The moment he clicked 'end' he felt for the first time that he was losing her.

He took a few steps back to sit on the curb of the sidewalk, letting his head fall slack in his hands that are propped on his elbows. Even when he lost her to Peter, he didn't really consider that losing because at the time he knew that she loved him, not Peter- she just wanted stability, a plan.

He sat there dazed, recalling what had cemented her love for him in his mind. It was their last year at Georgetown, _they were cramming to finish up their classes and start applying for jobs, with less than a month left. He was at his apartment after studying, when a knock announced someone's presence. He opened it to find Alicia there, with a strange mix of emotions crossing her face. He immediately pulled her in for a hug, but she took a step further and kissed him. Feeling her lips on his, he wanted to melt into hers and continue this, but his brain told him to pull back. When he tried, she tried to coax a response out of him by sliding her tongue over his lips. That is when he was a goner. That is when his mind knew she loved him. He responded to the kiss, pulling her in closer, feeling her body pressed against his, his hands sliding across her cheeks into her hair to kiss her more deeply. Kicking the door shut, he backed them up to the couch, she shrugged off her coat and tugged at his shirt. He grabbed her hands, and muttered her name mid-kiss, "Alicia". A moan was her only response. He pulled back from the kiss but held on to her hands, "I want our first time to be free f baggage." His voice trembled, full of emotion. Alicia casted her eyes down, " I know" she whispered ashamed that she even thought about it. A few moments later, she bolted up, "I need to go deal with something… well, someone." She said._

A shiver ran down his spine as he came back to reality. Looking back at the street, he sighed and pulled out his phone to text her the address. Once sent, he stood up and started his walk back to the office. He took his time, still rolling through the emotions of everything that transpired. As he walked he noticed an idling car in a no parking zone just outside the office's garage, but didn't glance twice at it, lost in his own thoughts. It took the occupant three tries to grab his attention.

"William Gardner!" the voice strained.

Shaken from his thoughts, he turned around, looking for who called his name. His eyes were drawn to the idling car; and Alicia standing with the driver's door open. Will felt a flutter in his heart, without wasting a second, he moved up to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Can you drive me, please? I don't want to be alone." She whispered.

"Yes," he answered as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

They climbed into the car and were off.

Alicia fidgeted in the passenger seat, she couldn't calm down. Will's presence was helping to diminish her nerves but it didn't do anything to dispel the anxiety or fear in her mind. She reached over to turn on the radio, flicking through the stations until she could find one that was actually playing music. They were on the highway already, leaving Chicago. She started tapping her foot against the door while staring blankly outside the window. She thought back to the conversation she had on the phone. Your daughter has been in a car accident. She suddenly stilled as she thought about it, tears leaving their tacked down her face. She felt a warm presence on her leg. Closing her eyes, letting the warmth course through her body, she said "Grace…Grace was in a car accident." Her voice frail and yet full of emotion. The warmth on her leg disappeared, giving her the chills, but was replaced when she felt the slight squeeze of a hand against hers. She allowed her fingers to intertwine with Will's, stealing his strength.

"Alicia," his wavering voice brings her to look at him, guilt expressed in her eyes. Her heart breaks when a little when she meets his glassy eyes. "I shouldn't have let her go, she's too young to be driving that far. I shouldn't…. what… what if she dies Will? It'll be my fault." She muttered through the free flowing tears.

"Alicia, did they tell you she was hurt?" At the shake of her head, he continued, "then don't think like that. She could be scared and shocked." He said, trying to be the voice of reason. "Maybe she broke an arm. We won't know until we get there." He finishes, giving her hand a squeeze. She nods and shifts her head to look out the window again, squeezing Will's hand.

Staring out at the dark black sides of the highway, she started to day-dream. _Seeing flashes of smiles and toothy grins_, she can't help but smile herself. _Remembering Grace's first step, her first day at school_, Alicia smiled. _Remembering in the fall when they would rake the leaves into a pile, Zach and Grace would spend hours jumping into it, giggling and laughing. Going deep into the recess of her mind, she looks back at when she was pregnant with Grace and how elated she was when she discovered it was a girl. She recalled going overboard decorating the nursery with an obnoxious amount of pink and flowers, finding herself migrating to that room whenever she had free time._

The buzz of her cell phone brought her back to reality, sitting in the passenger seat as Will drove down the Interstate. Releasing her hand from his protective hold, she reached into her purse and grabbed her phone. "Hello"

"Mom, Grace hasn't shown up yet, I'm worried." The distress in Zach's voice evident.

"Zach, I'm on my way down to Indianapolis, Grace was in a car accident on the interstate, they took her to…" her voice started to fade when she realized that she didn't know where they had taken her daughter. Feeling the panic course through her, tears started to well up again as she shifts her gaze to Will, who was digging into his pocket. Retrieving the piece of paper he wrote the information on, he handed it over to Alicia.

"Mom, is she okay?" Zach probes from the other side of the phone.

"She's at City Hospital. Will and I are on our way down now. Do you want to meet us there?" She questioned, concern still evident in her voice

"Yes, I'll see if I can find someone to drop me off, or use public transit." He rushed out.

Will tapped his hand on her leg, when he saw her look over, he whispered "40 minutes".

"Zach, breathe, calm down. Will and I are still 40 minutes outside the city, I'll let you know when we are closer." She can hear him sigh.

"What about dad?" Alicia's chest tightens and she rubs her face, ashamed that she forgot to call Peter. "I'll call him when I get off with you."

Alicia ended the call with her son and rested her head against the headrest, closing her eyes and breathing deep. She looks at her phone debating to call Peter right this instant or to wait until she knows more at the hospital. Looking at her phone, she notices that she has a voicemail. Pressing the button and raising the phone, she heard Will's voice fill the silence. She immediately turned to look at Will's profile while listening to the remainder of the message. Her heart started racing in her chest, her hands became clammy and the butterflies were very active after hearing Will say those three words. The three words she's never been able to vocalize to him. Reaching out, she slipped her hand into his and intertwined their fingers. "Will, what is the voicemail about?" She saw and felt his body tense as her quiet question seems to fill the entire car.

"Leesh," he whispered her nickname, eliciting more butterflies, "I couldn't stand seeing you in turmoil, wanted to help you, be there for you." She didn't even wait to voice her next question.

"Why?"

"You know why." He enforced, squeezing her hand. She waited a minute debating if she wants to have this conversation now. _She looked around, we are in the car, on the highway, and there is no escape._ She thought, smiling. "I need to hear you say it."

"You did." He paused, "in the voicemail." He stated sternly.

Alicia recoiled, turning her body back to face the windshield and releasing his hand.

"Alicia," he sighed mentally debating whether he wanted to say what he's been dying to say for almost two decades; whether it will be worth it to risk scaring her off with his honest feelings, realizing that he should be the one wanting to hear those words from her. But he forged on, "You know I love you. I have been in love with you for years, since Georgetown. We've joked about our bad timing. We've had our ups and downs. We've even ended our relationship, but that doesn't mean anything to me even after 15 plus years apart. I still want to be with you, to help you when you need it, and that's why I'm here." He exasperated.

Alicia sat there stunned into silence—no more probing questions, just silence. He's in love with me, she thought.

They sat in silence for a good ten minutes before Will hesitantly called her name. She continued to sit there with a stunned expression, what Will didn't know was that she was replaying a memory of them from Georgetown.

**A/N 2: I will tell everyone that the next chapter is a flashback. In addition, I know that this fic is slow crawling in a sense, but it will start picking up momentum soon, along with longer chapters like this one!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't not own The Good Wife.**

**A/N: There is the flashback! This chapter ended up far longer than I anticipated, to it is only the flashback. Happy Reading!**

They sat in silence for a good ten minutes before Will hesitantly called her name. She continued to sit there with a stunned expression, what Will didn't know was that she was replaying a memory of them from Georgetown.

Junior Year, 1990

Alicia was walking outside at night, it was fall in Washington DC and she loved trying to see the stars. She found a park that had a perfect view of the stars that wasn't too obstructed by the light pollution. She shook out her blanket and lay down, curling her spare sweatshirt into a ball under her head. This is where she could relax and make sense of the things that were falling apart in her life. This is where she could find solutions. After finally being able to relax, the tears started welling up, only to fall down her cheeks and temples. There were a few people who were milling about, seeing that it was only 7.30 on a Friday night.

How could things be such a mess in only the second week of school? She asked herself. What did I do to deserve this? Her mind continued raising more questions. She let the questions keep flowing because she didn't have any inkling of a solution for this problem.

So wrapped up in her own thoughts—well questions—she didn't hear someone approaching. The person didn't even bother to call her name; he knew that she wouldn't hear him so he sat down next to her. Her head turned to the side, seeing who it was, "What are you doing here?" Her voice sounded rough like sandpaper.

"You weren't at your place, so I took a walk to find you." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. Her heart fluttered at how well he knew her, and then she heard him continue, "What happened, Leesh?" He questioned, leaning back propping himself up by his elbows.

She turned back to look at the stars, "it's nothing."

"Then why are you looking for a solution if it is nothing?" he inquired, making her heart race this time.

After several minutes of silence, the questioned lingered between them. Alicia sighed, "Remember the fight Peter and I had at the end of spring semester, when I told him about my internship here?" Sensing his nod, she continued, "Well, he was upset that we weren't going to spend the summer together. And instead of coming here to visit me, he found someone else to fill his needs." Closing her eyes, releasing more tears flowing down her cheeks.

He lay down on the blanket beside her, staring at the stars. "Leesh," he started, but she stopped him when she leaned into him whispering, "Don't Will." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her. He periodically kissed her head, enjoying the sense of peace her body next to him brought him.

A week later, she came knocking at his door, with a smile that light up her eyes. He opened the door and was about to invite her in when she kissed him. It took a moment for his brain to register and when it did, it ignited his desired response; pulling her into him, his hands sliding into her hair as he deepened the kiss. She broke the kiss, still with the smile gracing her face, "Let's go look at the stars!"

That became their Friday night ritual. They would get together around seven and hunt for a good spot, usually ending up at the place he found her the first time. As the semester continued, they continued this ritual, even when the temperatures dipped into the 30's and below, they would bring more blankets and bundle up together but wouldn't spend the same length of time out there.

After doing this for three months, Will was walking towards her apartment building, bundled up to cut out the cold. When he reached her building, he pulled out the key she had given him so that he didn't have to wait in the cold. He walked in, pulling off his hat and gloves as he waited for the elevator. Once in the elevator, he unbuttoned his wool coat, sliding his hand into his pocket, playing with the cool silver ring in his warm hand. His hands became clammy as he thought about the conversation he intended to have tonight with her; showing her that not all men are scum.

When he reached her door, he was nervous. Very nervous. He hesitated at first, and then knocked on her door. While waiting for a response his hand slipped back into his pocket, playing with the ring once again. Becoming rather impatient, he knocked again, louder the time. Waiting another minute, his heart started to race, his mind wondering why she wasn't answering her door. _Did she fall asleep? In the shower? Was she hurt?! _His mind ran a million miles and landed on one last question to himself, _was she home?_ He knocked again, calling her name as he knocked this time. Trying to stay optimistic, not letting the feeling of rejection enter his mind. He turned back around to the elevator.

"She left about two hours ago." A voice told him as he waited for the elevator.

"She did?" sounding like an injured animal.

"Yes, her boyfriend picked her up." She explained.

He sucked in a breath at the work 'boyfriend'. He felt his heart slowly start breaking into pieces. "Thanks for letting me know." His head down to hide his hurt, he stepped into the elevator, started buttoning his coat and pulling on his hat and gloves. The influx of emotions that ran through him felt like it was burning him from the inside out, scorching its way through him leaving him just a shell.

Will took the long way back to his apartment, stopping for essentials to bury the emotions that were consuming him.

Arriving back at his place, he sat down with a case of beer, pulling out the ring; he held it between his thumb and index finger, with a drink in the other hand. That's how he remained for the evening.

_How could you be so stupid?_ He started asking himself. He felt his heart break piece by piece each time he thinks about her. "I need to do something" he said out loud. "It's Friday night for God's sake and I'm sitting here alone upset over cancelled plans." He said to himself, chugging back a beer, dropping the can to the floor. Grabbing another to can.

Alicia was running early in the morning, trying to think about the conversation she had last night. She was stressed and she didn't know what to do. Over the past two months, she felt like her life was finally back on track. She was dominating in her classes, she was spending more time with friends, and she has Will.

_Will_.

She abruptly stopped running at the thought of Will. Shit! She turned around and started running as fast as she could towards his apartment; guilt coursing through her pushing her to go faster.

Once she arrived, she buzzed his apartment multiple times, without getting an answer. When someone walked out of the building, she grabbed the door and rushed up the stairs not wanting to wait for the elevator. Reaching his door, she knocked several times. Becoming impatient, she started to call his name as she knocked. Hearing some rustling, she stopped to wait. When he opened the door, she felt her heart twinge when she saw how sad and disheveled he looked.

"Will, I'm so sorry! Something came up!" She blurted out.

Will bowed his head, "something or someone?" he emphasized the last word.

Her face confused, then met his eyes, and fell. "Can I come in to talk?" she whispered.

He opened the door to let her in. As she walked by he couldn't help but breath in her scent. His heart aching.

Alicia's mind was running wild, trying to figure out how he knew that she was out with someone last night. She glanced around his studio apartment, noting the massive amount of beer cans that littered the floor and couch.

"You never answered my question, something or someone?" Will broke the silence, commanding her to look at him.

She sighed and couldn't look him in the eyes when she said "someone".

At hearing that, Will walked into the kitchen area to grab a trash bag, "How's Peter?" he asked as he walked back to sit on the couch. He started picking up the cans to keep himself occupied so he didn't have to look her in the eyes.

"He came to talk," she said, "and apologize." Whispering the last part.

He felt his blood boil, he knew she was giving him a second chance—well more like fourth or fifth chance in his opinion.

Alicia watched as he continued to pile the cans into the plastic bag, feeling the tension radiate off him, making her stomach and heart unsettled.

The noise of clinking cans made her look at Will as he tossed the bag against the wall. "Why do you keep letting him do this to you Alicia? I don't understand why every time he apologizes, you take him back!" his voice boomed through the room, making her step back.

The sun started to filter through the windows, casting more light across the room, making everything warmer and more heated.

She cast her eyes down scanning the room so she didn't have to make eye contact with him.

"I have seen more smiles and heard more laughs from you the last three months than in the past two years we have known each other!" he continued. Her eyes settled on the silver piece glistening in the sunlight. "Doesn't it tell you something when you're happier in his absence than in his presence?" he asks infuriated. When he didn't get a response, he looked at her and saw her eyes were downcast, but he noticed that they were locked onto something. "Alicia."

"What's that?" Nudging her chin forward indicting the ring sitting on the coffee table, her eyes becoming glassy.

"It's nothing." Will stated, devoid of emotion.

She watched him pick up and hold it, before sliding it out of sight.

"You can't say it's nothing," her voice betraying her and expressing her anger, "it's clearly something if it is pushing you to drink this much!" she yelled spreading her arm out indicating the almost empty case of beer.

Will lost it; pulling out the ring, he held it up, "this didn't cause my drinking last night," his voice unwavering, "hearing that you are out with your _boyfriend_ on the night I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend is what pushed me to drink" his voice getting louder as he continued, "Are you really that oblivious Alicia that you don't see that I'm falling for you?"

She stood there stunned. She looked in his eyes and saw the waging war of emotions flickering violently from love to anger to disgust back to love. Alicia stood there trying to comprehend what had just transpired between them. _A ring for me. Girlfriend._ She thought, her emotions getting the best of her, causing her glassy eyes to spill the tears. _He was going to ask me to be his girlfriend? _Her mind continuing, _wait, he said I was out with my boyfriend… _"How did you know I was out with Peter?" her voice full of emotion.

Will took a step closer, "that's what you got from my admission? That I knew that Peter was there?" he roared. He saw her take another step back away from him, he propped himself against the couch, "I was knocking on your door last night, when I finally gave up your neighbor came out to tell me your _boyfriend_ had come to pick you up." He explained, trying to keep his voice relatively calm.

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Tears were streaming down Alicia's cheeks, as well as Will's, but neither could move. Alicia stood there still trying to wrap her mind around what happened. _Will has feelings for me, might even love me._ She thought_. Peter is here, but we're not back together, he was just trying to apologize, I didn't accept it, not yet at least. I could be with Will._ Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Will move closer to her, until he threaded his fingers through hers, looking at her lovingly. "Alicia," his other hand sliding to her cheek to wipe the tears from her face, as a few slipped down his cheek. "What are you thinking? Please," he begged, "I need to know."

Alicia's eyes fluttered as he gently wiped his thumb across her cheek. She opened her eyes to stare into his seeing love staring back at her. She felt her heart swell. She broke their eye contact, looking down at their hands rubbing her thumb across his hand.

Will was getting rather impatient. He didn't want to push her to say something, but he felt this sinking feeling within the pit of his stomach, knowing that her answer will not be one he wants to hear. Dropping his hand from her cheek, he takes a step back severing their contact. "I think it's time for you to leave." He whispered.

Alicia's head snapped up. "But I didn't give you an answer."

Will shrugged, "sometimes silence is an answer." He turned to walk towards the door, holding it open for her. "I think you should leave. He stated again, feeling extremely exposed.

She slowly traversed the few feet to the door, she stopped in front of Will, reaching up, caressing his cheek, and she leaned in and kissed him, "I'm sorry." And with that she left his apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own The Good Wife.

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"Alicia" Will summoned, reaching over to take her hand, trying to coax her back to the present. When she looked over at him, his eyebrow quirked, "Where did you go?"

She shook her head and released her hand from his, resting it in her lap with the other. She examined them, or more specifically her left hand that had her wedding ring. "How much longer?"

Will glanced over at her, trying to look into her eyes. Without luck, he responded to her question, "20 minutes."

She grabbed her phone, "Hey Zach, we are 20 minutes out." Will was listening on to Alicia's side of the conversation. "No, I haven't called your father yet. I want to know how Grace is doing before I cause him any panic." She was nodding her head as she listened to Zach. "Okay, we will see you there." And with that she ended the call. Tilting her head against the head rest, she sighed, "This is going to be a long night." She closed her eyes and breathed deep as a warm hand rested on her leg. Welcoming the silence of the car, she found herself suddenly very tired.

"Just relax, we will be there in a bit. Sleep if you want." Will's voice spoke out so quietly, she almost didn't hear him.

Will continues to drive in the silence, which allowed his mind to wander. With periodic glances over at Alicia in the seat next to him, he couldn't help but think about the moments they have shared and memories they have made together. _This must be why she doesn't want to let go of Peter, all the memories that they have shared throughout the years._ He thought to himself. He felt his heart sink at that thought. _They were happy memories. Do we have happy memories worth living for?_ He thought. He allowed his mind to wander back to Georgetown.

_It was a night of celebrating, Will and a few close friends were out at the local bar, tossing back shots and drowning themselves with booze. Will kept throwing back the shots because with each passing minute was confirmation that he has lost his best friend, the one person he truly wanted to celebrate with. His friends were laughing and joking about the hardships they had to go through in order to graduate. But they did it. Some started sharing what they were going to do next; who had job offers and where. Two of them looked expectantly at Will to share. But he just looked at the clock that read midnight, took another shot, "I'm out" and tossed some bills on the table before walking out._

_At first, he had slight difficulty walking straight, thinking it was because of all the thoughts swirling around in his head. He felt heavy. Every part of him. His head felt heavy because of the booze. His legs felt heavy because he was tired. His heart felt heavy because Alicia hadn't shown up. Even after all they had been through together over the years, they were able to still be friends; even after the discussion about the ring the year before. He walked to his apartment focusing on his heavy heart. Everything was about to change. _Entering the real world. Going to separate cities. _His mind thought as he approached his apartment building. He walked up the stairs, slowly, feeling the tiredness seep through his bones, the shots leaving a lingering warmth through his body, sadly not to the point of numbness. _

_He stepped onto his floor, the heaviness weighing on him. It took a few steps for him to realize that he wasn't alone. His eyes slowly moved towards his door, starting at the floor and working their way halfway, meeting her brown eyes._

Will smiled at the memory as he signaled his blinker to exit off the highway, following the signs for the hospital. A few minutes later, he pulled the car into the parking garage. Once parked, he unbuckled and turned to face Alicia. He couldn't resist taking a moment to take in how beautiful she was, even asleep. He raised his hand towards her cheek, gently brushing his thumb across her cheek. When her eyes fluttered open, he couldn't help but smile at her. He continued to caress her cheek with his hand, his eyes not wanting to leave hers.

"Are we here?" her voice coarse.

Will continued to stare at her and lightly nodded.

Alicia pulled back from Will's hand, seeing the light dim in his eyes as she does. But she grabs her phone and her bag and rushes out of the car. She sped walked towards the entrance, looking for the first reception desk she could locate. Walking over, the nurse looked up to be bombarded by Alicia. "I'm Alicia Florrick, I'm looking for my daughter Grace Florrick." The nurse nodded and tapped on several keys on the keyboard. "She was in a car accident," Alicia blurted, hoping it will help move the process along. The nurse only nodded in acknowledgement; which Alicia found frustrating.

A minute later—which felt like ten minutes to Alicia—the nurse turned towards her away from the computer, "She was brought into surgery about an hour ago." The nurse responded.

Alicia felt numb, she wobbled a little as she felt her legs give out when she heard the word surgery from the nurse's mouth. Luckily that was the moment Will appeared behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist to help support her. Alicia leaned into him, as she tried to formulate questions for the nurse, but failing miserably.

"When can we speak to a doctor? And is there a specific waiting room for surgery?"

The nurse gave them directions to the surgery wing and directed them to speak with surgery reception for paperwork.

Alicia pushed off from Will, making her way to the elevator as Will thanked the nurse and followed. In the elevator, Alicia started to fidget once again. Will kept his arm loosely around her, making sure she won't collapse. The elevator dinged announcing their arrival and Will gently pushed Alicia to start walking.

"Mom!" she heard her son's distressed voice immediately stepping off the elevator. She moved forward to pull him into a hug.

Will stood there for a second, before feeling awkward in such an emotionally intimate moment between mother and son. He smirked, seeing Alicia try to hug her son harder. And he wandered over to reception. "We are here for Grace Florrick" he said to the nurse.

"Can you fill out and return these. And I'll notify the attending of your arrival."

"Thank you" Will said as he grabbed the clipboard.

"She's in surgery, so the doctor may not be immediately available."

Will nodded his thanks and walked towards the waiting room where Alicia and Zach had moved to.

As Will approached, Alicia looked up to meet his eyes, in awe at the warmth and love emanating from them, calming her nerves. "I have checked in at reception for you, the nurse is informing the attending doctor that we are here but she said that since Grace is in surgery, it may be a while before he comes to speak to you." Will explained as he glanced over at Zach, noting the pained expression on the young man's face. "And they need these filled out" handing the clipboard over to Alicia, taking a seat across from her.

"Mom, I'm going to go grab some coffee, want some?" Zach offered. She nodded her head yes as she filled out the paperwork. "Will, want some?"

Shocked by the offer, Will found himself nodding too. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a 10$ bill, handing it over to Zach, "On me."

Zach nodded at him with a half smile.

Will watched Alicia roll her head side to side, her free hand rubbing her neck. Will moved over to the seat that Zach had just vacated. He wanted to reach out and touch her, massage out the knots and tension from this stressful situation, but there were prying eyes. Looking on as Alicia filled out the remaining sheet, he noticed Grace's birthday, September 18, 1997. Will's eyes fixated on the date, his mind trying to remember the significance of it. _Why does that date stick out?_ He thought, continuing to stare at it. He was pulled out of his fixation when he felt a weight against his shoulder. He heard a heavy sigh come from Alicia, which made a smile appear across his face.

Alicia took comfort in his presence and closed her eyes to try and process the new turn of events.

"How are you fairing?" she felt the vibrations of his voice.

"I'm hanging in there." She quietly responded, trying to keep herself strong. Breathing in Will's cologne, that sent warmth and calm through her body, she closed her eyes letting a few tears slipping out from underneath her eyelashes.

Will felt her shift slightly, looking down to see her hand covering her face. "Hey," he whispered, turning to pull her into a hug. She couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down her face.

Zach stood by the entrance of the waiting room, observing Will supporting his mom as she struggles to hold it together. _I shouldn't have left to get coffee, I should be comforting her. _He thought. _Though I'm glad that he cares for her and is there for her._ Stepping forward, "Coffee's here" he said, watching them break apart. "The cafeteria didn't have decent looking coffee, so I ran across the street to a café to grab some" he rambled, trying to dispel the awkwardness.

"Thank you Zach" Will says, letting the hot liquid slide down, warming his body from the inside.

Zach nodded, handed his mom her coffee and took a seat across from them.

"I'm going to hand these back to the nurse and call your father. I'll be back in a few minutes." She said, rustling through her purse to find her phone.

Zach and Will sat in comfortable silence, drinking coffee. After several minutes passed by, Zach looked Will over, "Thank you for driving my mom down here."

"No problem Zach," he waved it off, "I didn't want her to drive down alone." He said genuinely concerned, his eyes glancing to Alicia on the phone pacing.

Zach smiled sadly when he noticed where Will's eyes flickered to.

Alicia was pacing back and forth in the hallway just outside the waiting room. Her hands were shaking and tears were welling in her eyes. Her heart started beating faster as she heard the ringing.

"Hello." A voice answered on the other side of the phone.

"Peter?" she said trying to diminish the amount of distress in her voice.

"Alicia, what's wrong?" on full alert.

"Grace…" she started. "I don't know how to say this…" she fades off.

"What about Grace?" panic flooding his voice, "is she okay?"

"She's in the hospital" Alicia rushed out, "in surgery." She heard him suck in a breath. "She was driving down to see Zach for the weekend and got into a car accident." Her voiced wavered as she spoke.

"Where?"

"She's at Indianapolis City Hospital."

"Are you there?"

"Yes," she breathed, "Will just drove me down. He's sitting with Zach right now." Her heart pounding in her chest when she realized what she said.

"I'm flying out," he said, ignoring who was there. And ended the call.

She nodded, clenching her hand into a fist. Once again, she felt numb. It was like she couldn't feel anything. She turned on her heels and walked back to the waiting room, where she heard Zach telling Will about his first semester. She smiled and sat down, resting her head against the wall.

When Zach finished recounting a story of his roommate for Will, he saw how drained his mom looked, her face etched with worry and sadness. "Is dad coming out?"

She nodded.

They sat in silence, Zach playing on his phone, Will snoozing in the chair and Alicia staring at the clock.

About 20 minutes later, a doctor appeared in the entryway of the waiting room. "Mr. & Mrs. Florrick?"

Alicia jumped up, knocking Will's elbow off the armrest, startling him. "It's just Mrs. Florrick right now."

He nodded as the three huddled around him. "Let's go to my office." He led the way with Alicia tight on his heels.

As they entered his office, "I'm Dr. Leavitt. I am the ER doctor that took in Grace and her friends." He introduced himself.

"Alicia Florrick, mother. Did you say friends? She had friends in the car?!" Alicia's voice rose several octaves. Will put his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"I guess it's safe to assume you didn't know or approve of her driving her friends." The doctor noted on a pad of paper at Alicia's shake of her head, her lips pursed indicting no. "Well Grace came into the ER after being pulled out of the vehicle. She was conscious and alert, talking to us saying how much her mom was going to ground her for life," he joked.

Alicia sat there listening to the doctor, nodding. She even half smiled at the doctor's joke.

"She has two broken ribs; one punctured her left lung, and internal bleeding, which is why she is in surgery right now." He heard Alicia gasp and saw her squeezing the young man's hand with tears streaming down her cheeks. "That was before surgery. I want to warn you that it is entirely possible that the surgeons could discover more problems or have complications in the OR. I will try to get you an update ASAP. Do you have any questions?"

Alicia just sat there squeezing Zach's hand trying to process what the doctor just said. Will squeezed her shoulder, "How long will the surgery take?" he asked.

The doctor shook his head, "I'm going to check after our meeting and come back to give you an update. I would guess that she could be out within the hour."

Will nodded, looking down at Alicia then to Zach, "Let's go back to the waiting room, that way we can get an update sooner." Will winked at the doctor trying to get the two out of the office.

Alicia sat quietly in the waiting room staring at the clock mounted on the wall. _Internal bleeding. Punctured lung. Broken ribs. _Her mind flashed the words in front of her. _Car accident. Friends. _Her thoughts continued then hiccupped—**FRIENDS!** She bolted out of the chair, faintly hearing Zach and Will call her name, she ignored them to rush towards the reception desk, "My daughter came into the ER from a car accident, the doctor said that she had friends in the car; have their parents been contacted?" her words flowing a mile a minute.

"Yes, Mrs. Florrick, their parents have been contacted but yet to arrive."

"Can I see them?" her eyes pleading.

"Sure, come with me."

Will and Zach remained in the waiting room. Zach fiddled with his phone, occasionally glancing up at Will. "You love her, don't you?" Zach asked Will, looking down at the ground.

Will straightened his head and sucked in a breath. He could feel his pulse race and his hands become sweaty. _This is her son. How do I answer her _son_?!_ His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He looked at Zach and just melted, he deserves the truth. "Yes, I do love her, Zach."

Zach just nodded. After a few minutes, he spoke, "Don't hurt her, she's already been through enough." He shrugged a little, "She needs happiness in her life."

"I don't have any intention of hurting her. I only want her to be happy."

Zach and Will continued to sit in relatively comfortable silence until Zach's phone rang.

"Hey Dad…yeah we talked to the doctor, mom walked off several minutes ago. Grace is still in surgery, we're waiting for an update." Zach watched Will stand up, making eye contact, he whispered, "I'm going to go find your mom." Zach nodded. "Oh, sorry dad, can you repeat that? Will is going to find where mom went to." Zach updated his dad and continued conversing until the flight number was called for boarding. By that time his mom and Will had returned.

"Was that your dad?"

"Yeah, I filled him in and he's on his way." Zach saw a mix of emotions in his mom's eyes, wondering what she was thinking.

"Mrs. Florrick?" Dr. Leavitt called from the entryway.

Zach and Alicia stood up and gathered near the doctor. Alicia noticed Will still sitting, with a wave of her hand he joined them, standing behind her.

_My silent supporter_, she smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Good Wife.**

**A/N: To anyone who is involved in the medical field... forgive me if the situation I present isn't totally accurate. I wanted something easy to play into the drama aspect. Let me know what you think after you read it! Any thoughts on where I could be going with this story? Happy Reading! :)**

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Dr. Leavitt was sitting at the desk, with Zach and Alicia sitting in front of him with Will standing protectively behind Alicia. "I've received an update from the surgeon. It looks like he will be done in 15 minutes, but she will be going into a step-down unit which means only one person allowed in at a time."

Alicia sat there squeezing her hands together, "and her condition?"

The doctor nods, "She did well in surgery, however the surgeon is going to want to go over this with you also. Her lung is patched, and the bleeding has been stopped."

"Were there any complications?"

When the doctor nodded his head, Will rested his hand on Alicia's shoulder.

"There was severe damage inflicted on her liver. They sealed off the incision area to keep any bacteria out. We want to see if her liver will bounce back by itself. She is young and healthy, so there is a good chance that it could."

Zach rushes out of the room, not wanting to hear any more. Alicia's hand flies to touch Will's that is resting on her shoulder. Will leans down to whisper to her, "I'll go check on him."

"And what if it doesn't bounce back?" Will heard Alicia ask on his way out to find Zach.

Will walked around the corner to the waiting room, seeing Zach huddled in the corner, leaning against the wall with his back to the entryway. "Zach." Will called, approaching him, seeing Zach swipe his hand across his face, trying to hide the tears. "Hey, come here" Will reaches out for Zach, tugging him into a hug, "It's easier to cry than to hold it in." Will stated. "She's going to be okay. She will pull through this." He tried reassuring the young man.

Zach pulled himself out of the hug, "What if her liver doesn't bounce back?"

Will contemplated the question for a minute, choosing his words wisely, "Well your mom asked that as we left the room, but I am assuming that they will find a donor." Will gave him a few minutes to digest what he said, looking back over at him, he patted him on the back, "You good?"

Zach smiled, "Yeah, thanks."

Will shook his head, "No problem Zach, it is hard at times."

Alicia came around the corner just in time to see the exchange between her son and Will—and her heart started doing flips inside her chest. Once she heard the end of the exchange, she walked into the waiting room. She pulled her son in for a long embrace, "She will be okay" she whispered in his ear. Pulling back she looked at the seat, "let's sit, there's something you missed the doctor say." As they sat down, Alicia noticed her cell phone come to life. The screen read Diane. Guilt fills her when she realizes that her and her boss left without so much as a word to Diane about what was happening. Instead of answering it, Alicia reached over, resting her hand on Will's forearm, "Have you looked at your phone recently?" With a shake of his head, she continues, "Diane just called me. We didn't inform her of what is going on."

"I'll go give her a call." He smirked, reaching in his pocket for his phone, seeing several missed calls from Diane and Kalinda.

Alicia looked back to Zach, "the doctor said if her liver doesn't rebound then she will need a donor. It's not likely that she will make it on to any of the donor lists because it is not as severe, so he has suggested that we go get tested to see if one of us is a match."

Zach nodded, "So when do we get tested?"

"We can go now and send your father to get tested when he arrives." Alicia said, "Grace is likely to be in recovery by the time we return."

"Then let's go get tested." Zach said with determination in his voice.

Alicia stood and started following her son. She signaled to Will when they were walking by.

"Is she out?" he asked, completely ignoring Diane on the other side of the phone.

Alicia shook her head. "We're going to get tested. Can you keep an eye out for Peter?"

Will nodded and resumed the phone call. "Sorry Diane, I missed that." Will apologized. "No, it looks like we could be here for a few days. Grace might have to go in for another surgery."

"You are going to stay?" Diane inquired.

"Yes, I plan on staying."

"Will, be careful." Diane warned. "You are playing with fire."

Will ignored her warnings, "Let me know if you need to bounce any ideas around for the case." He offered, ending the call and collapsing into the chair.

He felt exhausted. Glancing up at the clock that read 11:30, he groaned because it felt as though days had passed already. Leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes and relaxed—as much as he could relax in this situation. His mind wandered through the events of the evening and night—his profession of love to Alicia on the phone, their hand holding, watching her and Zach, helping her through this… then he remembered the forms she filled out. September 18, 1997. A giant red flag was waving in his mind that he should know that date, but he couldn't remember why.

"Sir?" a voice called.

Will opened his eyes, realizing the doctor was standing in front of him.

"Grace is out of surgery. She is in a recovery room."

"Thank you, but I think I'll wait for her mother and brother to return."

The doctor nodded, "She's in room 342. We will allow the three of you in there together, as long as she isn't disturbed too much; she needs rest."

"Thanks Doctor."

Will released a breath after the doctor had walked away. Pulling out his phone, he dialed the familiar number. "Hey Leesh, Grace is in a recovery room."

"We'll be right up." Her voice sounding lighter than it had all evening.

A few minutes passed when he saw Alicia and Zach walking towards him, "Room 342. The doctor said he is lifting the visiting limit so you both can go in."

Zach already started walking out of the waiting room towards the rooms, when Alicia started to follow, feeling anxious to see her daughter. Looking back, seeing Will staring at the ground, "Are you coming?"

Will lifted his head, a trace of shock flickered across his face. "I don't want to intrude on family time. Go see your daughter. I'll be here."

Alicia didn't hesitate before stepping forward to grab his hand. "Didn't you think that I may need you with me?" she whispered as she started walking, tugging him to join.

They walked down the corridor holding hands, only releasing them when they reached Grace's room. Alicia hesitantly walks in the room followed by Will. Her heart thumps in her chest when she sees her daughter hooked up to an array of machines and IV's. Feeling like she entered a parallel universe she slouched into the chair next to Grace's bed where she examined her daughter's sleeping face. _She looks so relaxed_. Alicia thought.

Will took a seat on the bench by the door, watching the emotions play out across Alicia's face, from love to anger to guilt, he couldn't ever imagine being able to handle a situation like this.

Time had passed with Grace stirring occasionally but couldn't stay awake for too long. Alicia had curled up on the bench next to him, resting her head on his leg with her legs over the armrest. Zach had fallen asleep in the chair next to Grace's bed with his feet propped up on her bed. Will was in that state just before sleep but still slightly awake. He was in awe at how comfortable he was just resting there in the hospital room with Alicia and her kids. He heard a buzzing but couldn't be bothered to look at his phone.

Zach jolted awake from the buzzing of his phone, "Hey Dad," he said as he wiped his hand across his face. "I'll meet you at the elevator." Zach got up to see his mom sleeping and Will fading to sleep with his hand protectively resting on his mom. He smiled and walked out of the room.

The elevator pinged and his dad walked off, heading straight for him. "Hey Zach." He said, pulling his son in for a hug. Once glance at his dad, he could tell that he had been crying. Breaking away from the hug, he lead his dad to the waiting room to give him and update on Grace.

After his dad had time to process what Zach had said, they started their walk down to have his dad get tested.

They made their way back to Grace's room in silence. The situation taking a toll on both of them. Zach led the way towards her room, entering and plopping back into the chair he had vacated not long ago.

Peter stood there staring at Grace, lying in the hospital. Coming up to her side, he picked up her hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. Glancing around the room, he finally noticed the two occupants on the bench. He felt his blood boil at the sight of Alicia lying on Will's leg and his arm wrapped around her. A visible scowl crosses Peter's features as he takes in the sight. Having seen enough, Peter walks over to crouch down in front of the bench—the side that Alicia is lying on. Peter slides his hand over her arm, slowly waking her from sleep. Peter continued to caress her arm until her eyes opened.

It took her a moment to realize who was in front of her. "Peter, you made it." She whispered, making her way to sitting up. The moment Alicia stood up with the intention of stretching her muscles; she was pulled into an embrace. An embrace that felt forced and foreign. She tried to relax into it but she just couldn't. She pulled back, "Did Zach fill you in?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah, and I already got tested. When will we know if she will need a transplant?"

"Not sure exactly. Dr. Leavitt wanted to wait to see how things go before we discuss it further."

Peter moved to sit in the chair as Alicia leaned against the foot of Grace's bed. The three sat there in silence, Zach occasionally glancing over at Will, who was still asleep. Peter noticed his son's flickering glance and tensed each time, getting aggravated at the person residing on the bench. His attention was redirected when Grace started mumbling, slowly stirring.

After about ten minutes of Peter commanding Grace's attention, Alicia rested her hand on Grace's covered foot, "How about we let you try to get some more rest, I don't think the doctor will be in for a couple more hours."

"Sleep sounds good right now." Grace replied, her eyes already closing.

Alicia tried to suppress a yawn as Peter leaned back in his chair. "When do you think we will know if she needs another surgery?"

Alicia looked over to the clock, then down at Will who was starting to wake. "I don't know Peter. We are in a waiting period right now. They want to see if she can improve without a second surgery." Before waiting for a response, Alicia slid off the bed, "I'm going to get some coffee, does anyone else want some?"

Peter and Zach both nodded.

Alicia started towards the door, but stopped, kneeling next to Will. "Will," Alicia slid her hand over his.

Zach saw the interaction and glanced over to see if his dad has witnessed it. Seeing the lines creased in his forehead, Zach could see the anger etched on his father's face.

"Hey" Alicia said as Will's eyes opened. "I'm grabbing coffee, do you want any?"

"Yes, please." He mumbles, rubbing his hand across his face.

"Okay." She smiled and stood up to exit the room.

Will took a minute to fully wake up. He looked around the room, realizing that Peter had arrived. "Hey Peter, glad you made it."

Peter clenched his teeth to mask his anger. "Will, can I talk to you outside?" his demeanor changing as he asked. He stood up to exit the room. Will sat there confused. Zach looked at him with worry in his eyes. Will shrugged and exited the room.

Peter stood in the hallway leaning against the wall, pushing off the wall when he saw Will exit Grace's room. "Thank you for driving my wife down and keeping her company while I travelled out here." He held out his hand intending for a handshake, "but now that I'm here, I think you should depart."

Will stood there in shock. "I drove my friend down here to help her through a rough time. I don't have any intention of leaving when she still needs me." Will stood his ground.

Anger and rage coursed through Peter's veins. He rushed towards Will, slamming him against the wall. "You don't belong here. You are not her husband or her family." He enunciated each word in Will's face. "You are the one screwing another man's wife." Peter spat in his face, right as Alicia walked around the corner.

"Peter! What _are_ you doing?" she yelled down the hallway.

Peter released Will and backed away, turning towards his wife. "Just having a heart to heart with Will here." Peter grinned, taking a coffee from the tray and walking back into Grace's room.

Alicia stood there, speechless, her eyes shooting daggers at the back of Peter's head as he walked into the room. She took a step closer to Will until he stopped her by raising his hand, "I think it's time for me to leave."

Alicia stood there, shaking her head. "No Will, please stay."

Will stepped closer to her, leaning his head closer to her ear, "There is no reason for me to stay, besides my feelings for you. This is your family, not mine." He whispered to her, "and I don't think you will ever leave him." He leaned in, kissed her cheek, "I hope Grace pulls through this." He says as he walked past her to the elevator.

Alicia leaned against the wall, feeling as though she just had her heart ripped out of her chest.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! :) I have enjoyed writing this fic. This is not the end-far from it actually. Though as much as I enjoy it, I do appreciate the feedback. This chapter starts to introduce some medical aspects. I apologize now if the medical involvement is not completely plausible or accurate. Happy Reading!**

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Alicia tried to compose herself before stepping into Grace's room. She handed Zach his coffee with a shaky hand and sat on the bench, staring at Grace's sleeping form; anger and helplessness running through her. Zach glanced back and forth between his mom and dad, both avoiding looking at each other. He could feel the tension rolling off his dad in waves as he entered back into the room. He already knew the answer but felt like asking anyways, "Where's Will?" he watched his dad flinch at the name mentioned, and sadness wash over his mom's features.

"Ask your father." Alicia whispered out. Zach's gaze still shifting between his mom and dad.

"Why do you care?" was all Peter could muster.

Zach cast his eyes down. "He's nice and caring." He commented, realizing that his dad hasn't asked him how his first semester is going.

"Yeah, those are two qualities Will Gardner possesses" Peter scoffs, "give me a break son."

Zach looked up at his father with hatred in his eyes. "So you can screw hookers, but mom isn't allowed to have friends?"

"Zach!" Alicia called out.

"Mom, he slammed Will against the wall!" Zach exclaimed, his arms emphasizing his point.

"And for good reason." Peter piped in.

Zach was angry. Clenching and unclenching his hands to attempt to calm down. He couldn't believe that his mom yelled his name at what he said to his father. Granted, it wasn't the nicest thing to say, but it was the truth. "I'm going for a walk."

"Why is Zach so upset?" Grace's soft raspy voice filled the room. Alicia moved off the bench and sat on the bed, bringing her daughter into a warm embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Mom." She started crying as her mom hugged her.

"It's okay sweet pea." Alicia said before she pulled back, placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead. Turning her head to the side, Alicia looked at Peter, "Can you go tell the nurses' station that Grace is awake? It's by the elevator."

Peter sat there for a moment before getting up and walking out.

"So why was Zach so angry?" Grace asked.

Alicia brushed her hand across her daughter's hair. "Mom."

Alicia sighed, "Your dad made a scene when asking Will to leave. Zach was just upset. It's been a long hard evening."

Grace nodded. "Will came down with you?"

Alicia noticed at how small her daughter's voice sounded when she asked that. Alicia's heart rate started to rise, thinking about how to handle the question. She had shielded her kids from seeing her affair with Will. She never felt compelled to introduced Will to them because she didn't want them to think that she wasn't trying to make things better with their father. She decided on telling Grace the truth. "He drove me here. He didn't want me driving when I was so emotional."

"That was nice of him." Grace tilted her head, observing her mom, "I'm glad he was there to drive you."

"Me too."

"How are Shannon and Leah?" Grace asked tentatively.

"Shannon has a broken arm and needed a few stitches. Leah just needed a few stitches."

"I'm so sorry Mom." Grace started to cry again.

Alicia took her in her arms, "shhh, it's okay."

Peter paused at the door taking in the scene in front of him before he continued to sit down next to her bed reaching for Grace's hand.

They were interrupted when the nurse came into the room to check on Grace. She puttered around the room doing different tasks. "The doctor will be in shortly to discuss some things with you." She said before leaving.

They sat in silence while waiting for the doctor to arrive. Alicia glances up at the clock: 2.45 am. She sighed, it was going to be a long night. She couldn't stop her mind from wandering to Will. She knew that he wanted more, that he wanted her. But she didn't know how to end things with Peter, they had a life together, kids. She took a vow, that vow means something to her. She glanced back at the clock: 2.47 am. _This is going to be a long night._ She thought. She reached down to grab her purse, to fish out her cell phone. She opened a new text window, 'Thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it. Please let me know when you arrive home safely. I love you.' She typed into the message, hesitating if she should send it. _No, I can't text that, I let him leave_, she thought backspacing 11 spaces, erasing the 'I love you'.

There was a knock at the doorjam, "Well, good morning Sunshine!" Dr. Leavitt smiled at Grace.

"Hi." Grace whispered.

Peter stood up to greet the doctor. "Hi, I'm Peter Florrick."

Dr. Leavitt shook his hand. "So Grace, let's talk about your surgery." He saw Grace glance over at Alicia who immediately moved over to sit next to her on the bed.

"Do you remember what I told you we were going to do when you were in the ER?"

Grace nodded, "Patch my lung, control the bleeding and look for anything else."

"The surgery was successful in patching your lung, and to stop the internal bleeding. However," he paused, Grace took advantage of it by sliding her hand into her mom's. "there was severe damage to your liver. We are currently waiting to see if it will rebound, but there could be a chance that you may need a liver transplant." He gave them a minute to let that sink in before continuing. "Which brings me to your mom's and brother's test results. Zach is not a match, but Mrs. Florrick, you are." He said turning towards her, "although it's not an ideal match, but it is manageable." He could feel the tension lift in the room.

Alicia looked from the Doctor to Grace, "What does this mean?"

"Well, there is still a chance her liver could rebound, but if it doesn't we need to find a match." The doctor turned to Peter, "If you can get tested then we will have a better idea of what we have to work with."

"Already done." Peter responded.

"Okay, do you have any questions?" When he saw the shakes of their heads, he stood from the chair, "I'll return when I receive the results back."

"Thank you Doctor." Alicia said as he exited the room.

There was silence after the doctor's departure. Alicia was still sitting on the bed with Grace's hand still in hers. She watched as Grace tried to suppress a yawn. "How about you try to get some sleep and I will go find where Zach wandered off to." Alicia said to Grace, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back in a little bit."

She exited the room without a word to Peter, she felt that it was easier that way. The stress of the situation was just too much to add more to it. She made her way to the waiting room to see if Zach was there, not seeing him, she pulled out her phone.

"Hey mom."

"Hey, where did you go?'

"Downstairs, lobby."

"Do you mind if I come down?"

"No, mom, come down." He sighed, "or I could come up."

"I need the walk. I'll be there if a few." Ending the call, she worried about the damage that this event has and could further cause on her family. She thought about how Zach is lashing out at Peter, and defending Will. Grace is in the hospital, possibly needing another surgery. Peter is throwing my boss, my friend, my lover… my love against a wall. _Wait, my love_. Alicia thought smiling. Maybe something good can come of this. She considered. She found herself at the ground floor walking towards the lobby waiting area. Her musing ceased when she spotted Zach. She sunk down into the chair next to him.

"How's Grace?"

Alicia sat there and filled him in on what the doctor said regarding the test results. After that they sat in silence, comfortable silence.

"How are you holding up?" Alicia looked over at Zach.

"I'm sorry about what I said. It just doesn't seem fair."

"Life isn't fair Zach, it never will be." She sighed. "Your father has never been a fan of Will."

She mentally cursed at that statement, because when she ended it, Zach immediately questioned why.

"When I was at Georgetown, Will was my best friend. We had classes together, we studied together, we partied—occasionally—together. Everyone referred to us at the 'dynamic duo' because we complemented each other so well; especially in our mock trials." She sighed. "Your father always thought that there was something more between us."

"But you were dating dad, so if there was more, you wouldn't have been with dad… you would have been with Will."

Alicia felt as though she had been electrocuted. How could her 18 year old son reason it so logically when she didn't see that herself? Granted, she is leaving out minute details here and there regarding the situation, but Zach didn't need to know those things. Alicia decided it was for the best at the moment to agree with Zach's reasoning.

"Are you going to divorce dad?"

Alicia sucked in a breath, not expecting that question. "Well, I have had the papers for a while, but we agreed to try to make it work."

"But you are separated. And you're not happy."

Alicia sat there stunned that her son was the one asking these questions. She stumbled looking for a way to respond, deciding that it was best to be honest. "No, not anymore."

Zach nodded, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I think I am. I like Will, and if he makes you happy than I think that you should be with him."

She leaned back, resting her head against the wall. An influx of emotions rushing through her.

"I'm going to go see Grace." Zach left to leave his mom to think.

She nodded and watched him walk away. Pulling out her phone, she looked at the time 4 am. How could I let things get to this point? How was Peter supposed to react to having Will here? She shook her head, that doesn't excuse Peter's behavior of slamming Will against the wall, especially with Zach in such close proximity. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees, trying to focus on the more pertinent issue at hand. Grace. Hospital. Liver Transplant. Slight match. Zach isn't a match. _Wait_, she thought, _how is a match calculated?_

At that thought, she rushed to the elevator, hopping on right before the door started to close, tapping level three. A million thoughts were running through her head, causing anxiety to build and build. Her breaths became faster and shorter, causing her to lean back against the elevator. When the ping sounded, she rushed off towards the doctor's office. The running did nothing to help her breathing but at that moment she didn't care. She rounded the corner before stopping in the doorway of the doc's office, seeing him sitting at the desk, she leaned forward to catch her breath.

"Mrs. Florrick? Are you okay?" He approached.

She nodded, catching her breath. "What…. Makes… a match?" She asked, her eyes pleading with him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here is the next installment! So this chapter turned out a lot longer than I anticipated, so bear with me. There is a flashback included in this chapter and instead of using italics for it, I separated with with a line across the page. For all of those readers that reviewed is the reason I felt compelled to post today, so this is for you! I enjoyed reading the reviews where the readers started predicting what could happen... Well, let's see if anyone was right! Happy Reading!**

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Will walked into his apartment at 5.30 in the morning, after returning the rental car. He stripped off his clothes and walked straight towards his bedroom. He was exhausted. Downright exhausted. He doesn't know how Alicia was still hanging on when he left. He became frustrated at himself for not being able to block her from his thoughts_. It's because you're in love with her, you dumbass_.

He fell onto his bed and didn't have the effort to pull back the covers. And he slept.

He awoke hours later by the sound of his phone. He stumbled out of bed towards the ringing phone. Picking it up, he saw Alicia's name on the screen. He needed time to think, away from her distracting self. He wandered into the kitchen to grab food. Looking at the newspaper on the counter, he caught the date, October 14. A different date popped into his head, September 18, 1997. He froze, remembering the date Alicia wrote down on the form as Grace's birthday. Suddenly his appetite was gone; he walked into his study, to the closet that is filled with mostly boxes. He pulled a box down, placing it in front of a chair. He sat down and started opening it. All sorts of emotions started racing through him. He looked at the box, amazed at how many odds and ends there were in it. He pulled out a framed picture of him and Alicia at graduation. It feels like so long ago, he thought, but then again it doesn't feel like anything has changed. He sighed, placing it on the table. He looked back in the box and hesitated at the black velvet box that his fingers were grazing. Picking it up, he opened the box to stare at the silver promise ring, with interwoven bands closely resembling a series of infinite signs. He felt the prick of tears started as sadness washed over him. He walks into the kitchen and grabs a glass and his bottle of scotch. Bringing them both into the study, he poured himself a hefty dose of scotch, bringing the glass to his lips; he felt the warm liquid glide down his throat. Feeling the liquid start warming his body, he sat back down and picked the velvet case again, eyeing the ring, then snapping it shut._ If only it was that easy,_ he thought. He finished off the glass of scotch. Looking back at the box, he pulled out a notebook, flipping through the pages remembering the times they would write notes to each other in the library after the librarian would tell them to quiet down. Dropping the notebook on the floor, he found the item in question. The one that had made him fixate on the date. It was a picture. Will wiped his hand across his face, standing up, he started pacing around the room. _What am I doing? She would have told me. _He dismissed that thought, pouring more scotch. He drained half the glass before sitting back in front of the box, with the picture on top. His hands became clammy and his heart sped up when he pulled out the picture of his family Holiday gathering. The picture started to shake in his hand as he hesitantly turned it over. He looked at his mom's familiar handwriting.

Gardner Holidays 1996

January 10, 1997

Will, I am so glad you made the trip out.

Love, Mom

P.S. Fight for Alicia. You two belong together!

Will stared at the date, January 10, 1997. His heart was pounding now, making his chest hurt. His mind full of contradicting thoughts. He flipped the picture over, gazing at it. It was his mom, his sisters and their boyfriends at the time, and him with Alicia. A blanket of sadness washed over him as he dropped the picture back into the box. He sat there, stuck in a revolving door. _She's always going to choose Peter_. Will thought. And with that he left the study, trying to understand the puzzle his mind was focused on. He ignored the ringing phone that pierced through the silence and left his apartment with it still ringing. Not even looking to see that it was Alicia calling.

As he walked on the street level, he looked at the people surrounding him; people in different points in their lives, different goals and dreams. He stopped at the café to grab a coffee and continued on his walk, ending up on at a park, sitting on a bench. After everything I have dealt with from Alicia, why do I still want her? You'll always want her, his mind emphasized at itself.

He just needed to walk. All these thoughts swirling through his head, making it hurt. He noticed people milling about their day, and he longed to be one of them. But that wasn't an option today. His mind starting thinking about the dates, and he thought of a day a few months before that day.

He was here for a client. A client who had recently moved to Chicago from Baltimore. He hired new lawyers in Chicago, but he wanted Will to assist with the case. He even flew Will out to Chicago to meet and talk strategy with these new lawyers.

"Will!" a person yelled at the airport, waving his hands to gain attention.

"Greg! Nice to see you again." Will reached out to shake his hand. "What trouble did you wander into this time?" a teasing smile graced his face.

Greg chuckled, "Sexual harassment."

Shaking his head, Will patted him on the back, "Now show me these new and shiny lawyers."

Greg lea them out and headed straight to the lawyer's office. Once they arrived at the firm, the receptionist greeted them, Greg walked up to check in with her and flirt with her in the process.

After a few minutes, a woman approached them, "Greg Mason?" she inquired, seeing a nod she continued, "I'm Diane Lockhart, equity partner." She said with a smile and started leading them towards a conference room.

"This is Will, the lawyer who has handled most of my previous suits."

"Will Gardner." He said, shaking her hand.

They ran through the case, with questions flying back and forth as Greg ran them through his interactions with the accuser.

About an hour later, Greg slapped Will on the shoulder, "Let's go grab some food, it's way past lunch. Diane would you like to join us?"

"Raincheck?" She questioned, "I still have some work to finish."

"Alright then, we will see you tomorrow." Greg said as he led Will out of the conference room.

They walked down to an Italian restaurant that Greg raved about.

"How are you liking Chicago?" Will asked.

"It's okay, a lot different than the east coast. This is the first part of my company that I have allowed outside of the east."

"Branching out is a good thing." Will shrugged.

"What about you, ever think about leaving Baltimore?"

"I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind… but I like where I am right now. My mom moved out here when she got re-married last year, which would make family gatherings easier and more mandatory." To which they both laughed.

They continued their idle chitchat until their order was taken, which gave them a chance to look around. Will noticed mainly men in suits, conversing over files. "It looks like a lot of lawyers." He murmured.

Greg nodded, "I think there is a courthouse just a block or two down from here."

They picked up talking again, more like friends than lawyer/client, until he heard the laugh. That laugh, he thought. Will broke the conversation and glanced around. That is when he spotted her. "Alicia" he whispered then smiled.

Greg took the chance to glance over and then shot Will a confused look, "You know her?"

Will turned back to face Greg and nodded, "We went to law school together."

"Why don't you go over and say hi?" Greg probed.

Will just shook his head, indicating no.

"Why not?" Greg smiled knowingly.

"She's out with her husband; the last person she will want to see is me."

Greg nodded and dropped the questioning.

Their food came and Will was glad for the diversion. He let Greg carry on the conversation while they ate. It wasn't until Greg nudged him that he realized that he wasn't listening. "The guy just left, she's alone now."

Will glanced over to see her sitting alone, pushing the salad around her plate. Will noted how very sad she looked. After a moment, Will turned back to his meal and friend, eating in silence.

"You're not going to speak with her?"

"It's not like I have kept in touch with her after school."

They continued to eat in silence, Will glancing over his shoulder periodically.

"Just go say hi." Greg urged.

Will saw that she received her entrée. He glanced over at Greg, who nodded.

Will got up and walked over. "May I sit with you?" he asked.

Her head snapped up to meet his face. "Will." She breathed. A moment later she jumped up to hug him. "Will!" she shrieked.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, his heart exploding with joy that she was excited to see him. "That wasn't the reaction I expected."

She pulled back, "No?"

He shook his head, and she pulled out of his embrace. "You can join me if you would like." She said with a smile. "How have you been?" Alicia asked.

"I'm good. I'm still working in Baltimore, senior associate. How about you? I saw Peter here earlier." He casts his eyes down."

"We got married." She said, "You didn't come." Whispering the last part. "And we have a son, Zach."' She said with a smile.

"Congrats." He smiled slightly. "Are you still practicing law?"

"Yes, I am." She smiled. "Wait, what are you doing in Chicago?"

"I have a client who opened a division of his company here. And is now being charged with sexual harassment."

"Ah, the joys of being a lawyer." She smiles.

He smiled back at her. He continued to stare at her as she eats. Damn. She's so beautiful. He thought to himself.

Alicia eyed him, "What are you thinking about?"

Will shook his head coming back to the present.

"No, tell me." Alicia smiled.

"It…um… wouldn't be appropriate." He said.

"Since when do you care about being appropriate?" She laughed. God, he loves her laugh. "C'mon, I miss my best friend."

Will just started at her, "You are so beautiful." He smiled at her.

She stopped laughing and just stared at him, her cheeks tinted red and light dancing in her eyes. Will's heart thumped against his chest. He continues to keep eye contact with her and her cheeks darkened. She finally broke eye contact, glancing down at her lap, "Will." She whispered.

Silence engulfed them, Will could see Alicia grow more uncomfortable as he continued to watch her. Shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

A short smile appeared on Alicia's face. "It's not that, I've just missed having my best friend around."

"You have missed me?" Will smiled cheekily. Alicia nodded, "I've missed you too."

They stared at each other with stupid grins on their face.

"Hey smiles." Will turned his head to see Greg approaching. It was Will's turn to feel his cheeks burn, blushing. "See, I told you that you should day hi." Greg said, smiling at Alicia, who smiled back.

"You weren't going to say hi?" she inquired, sadness seeping into her gaze.

"I…well…I…uh…Peter was here." Will stuttered.

Alicia nodded in understanding and Greg looked confused.

"Miss, here is your check." She nodded her head in thanks. Alicia went to reach for the check, but Will beat her to it.

"Let me." Will said, smiling.

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that."

He shrugged, "I want to."

Will pulled enough cash for the check and tip, and slide out of the booth. "Can I walk you to your car?" he asked as she stood next to him.

"Sure."

The three of them walked out of the restaurant together, Greg stopped and stood by the door, watching Will and Alicia walk towards her car.

Will walked beside Alicia, thinking about what to do. When they reached her car, she turned around to face him, "I'm really glad that you said hi." She smiled sadly. "I know how hard it must have been to see me with Peter." She whispered, reaching for his hand.

"You're not happy, are you?"

She pulled back, "Yes, I am!"

Will nodded, "Can I have my best friend back?" he looked at her, seeing hope and understanding.

She smiled, "I would like that."

He pulled a card out of his pocket and a pen. After writing something on the card, he handed it to her. They smiled at each other. Then Alicia suddenly felt uncomfortable. "I should…" She hesitated, pointing to her car.

Will nodded, grabbing her hand before she could turn around and gently pull her in for a hug. He closed his eyes, missing the way he felt around her; shifting slightly, he pressed his lips against her temple. He felt her shift, closer to him, hugging him harder.

After some time Alicia pulled back, "I need to head out. How long are you in town for?"

"I'm not sure, it depends on how long the lawyers here need assistance; probably through this week."

She nodded and slid into the driver's seat.

Leaning against the door, Will smiled, "Give me a call." He stepped back from the car with a smile on his face.

"Argh." Alicia let out a frustrated groan as she heard Will's voicemail click over, again. She collapsed into the chair behind her and looked at the clock 11:05 am. _He must be mad_, she thought. I need him to pick up! Frustrated, she picked up her phone with renewed vigor and dialed a familiar number. After two rings, someone answered, "Mr. Gardner's office, Stacey speaking, how can I help you?"

Alicia sighed, "Hi Stacey, It's Alicia, is Will in?"

"No, he hasn't been in, can I take a message?"

Alicia hummed on the line debating if she wanted to leave a message. "Yeah, can you tell him to please call me back when he gets this; it's urgent." She said.

"Okay, will do." And with that the line went dead. Alicia stared at the phone, feeling hopeless.

She sat there, not sure what to do next. Her wariness started to catch her, she started to doze off in the chair. That's where Zach found her. He looked at her and saw how calm and relaxed she looked, he hesitated before rousing her from sleep.

"Mom, the doctor wants to speak to you and dad."

Alicia woke up with a start, her heart racing when her eyes met Zach's, she sighs. "Is everything alright?"

Zach shrugged, "The doc wants to talk to you and dad."

Alicia nodded, grabbing her phone, noting no missed calls or texts. Zach led her to the doctor's office, noting Peter already seated across from the doctor. "Ah, Mrs. Florrick" the doctor gave her a smile as she walked in. "Is everything okay" She asked, hesitantly.

The doctor gestured for her to sit.

Alicia took a seat next to Peter, Zach standing beside her. She glanced over at Peter, who kept his head straight, not acknowledging her presence. She left cold as she looked at him. Turning her attention back to the doctor, he started talking. "Grace's levels have gone up a little. Which is a good sign. Though she may still need a transplant. Your husband was just asking me about transporting Grace back to Chicago."

She glanced over at Peter, "It'll make it easier for us." He shrugged.

"Would that be okay if we transfer her to Chicago? It wouldn't disrupt her care?"

"Well, she's stable. Her levels are coming back, albeit slowly. But I don't see why she can't be transferred."

Alicia felt the familiar buzz of her phone. She met the eyes of the doctor, then Peter before excusing herself.

"Hello" she answered.

"Hey sis!" Owen's voice rang out with it's usual cheer.

"Owen." She sighed, trying to maintain her composure.

"Alicia, what's wrong?"

She filled Owen in on what had transpired over the last several hours.

"So she might need a transplant and you are a partial match?" Owen was questioning his understanding. "And Peter isn't a match at all." Owen voiced.

Alicia felt her heart rate increase. "Correct." She admitted quietly. "I asked the doctor what makes a match. He tried to explain it all to me, all I understood was that it had to do with a match between blood and antibodies, which is by genetic match."

"Alicia, does this mean what I think it means?"

"Owen, I'm not even sure myself." She nervously admitted.

"I'm coming down."

"No, Owen. Peter and I were just talking with the doctor about transferring Grace up to Chicago."

"Okay, stay strong sister."

She ended the call with Owen and stared at her phone. She was scared at what this meant. The meaning never really sunk into her brain when the doctor explained what a match is. And Peter isn't a match. She scrolled down her contact's list and clicked call. She listened to the phone ring and ring until it clicked over to voicemail, again. She angrily ends the call and props herself against the wall. She stands for a there for a minute, thinking of her options. Alicia glanced at her phone and thought of someone else to call. After two rings, she heard the familiar voice.

"Kalinda!"

"Alicia, where have you been? You just disappeared!"

Alicia once again ran through the overview of what has occurred, but left out the details of the transplant and the matching process. "Kalinda, can you do a favor for me?"

"Sure."

"Can you find Will for me? He's been dodging my calls."

"Alicia." Kalinda said warningly.

"Please Kalinda, I need to talk to him."

She heard Kalinda sigh on the other line, "I'll try, he hasn't been in today, but I'll try."

"Thank you." Alicia let out a huge sigh as she ended the call. Trying not to let her mind wander too far.

She pushed off the wall, headed towards the doc's office. She stood in the doorway, noticing that Peter and Zach weren't there, but walked in anyways. "Doc. I have a question."

He looked up, "Yes, Mrs. Florrick."

"Alicia." She corrected him.

"What can I do for you?"

She tentatively stepped forward, nervous about voicing this out loud."You know how I inquired about how someone is a match?" When she saw his nod, he continued. "What does that mean if Peter isn't a match?"

He sighed and took off his glasses, "Well it means that if Grace needs a transplant than we will either have to use you or find another transplant donor."

Alicia felt herself shaking her head and trying to ask another question; but couldn't bring herself to do it.

The doctor noticed her expression and moved to grab a file. "Since you questioned me about what makes a match, ii retested Grace's sample against your husband's—just to be sure." He started. "In addition I took the liberty of adding another test to the board." He said, leaving it up to her.

_You don't want to know_, Alicia's mind thought. "What additional test?" her mouth questioned.

The doctor looked at her and saw her inner turmoil. "Paternity."

Alicia took a shaky breath in, unsure about how she feels. Looking at the doc, he stood and walked over to her, "How about you take a seat?" he suggested, leading her to the chair. "Do you want to see the results?"

Alicia sat there quietly for a few minutes with the doctor staring at her.

In the end, she nodded, not trusting her voice.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Good Wife.**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think. Happy Reading!**

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The doctor granted transport of Grace to Chicago. After speaking with the doctor alone, she headed to see Grace. Sitting there next to her on her bed, watching her daughter sleep, and her heart couldn't help but ache. She sat on the edge, brushing hair off Grace's face, placing a kiss on her forehead. Peter was staying with Grace until she was in an ambulance for transport.

It was mid-afternoon and Alicia was in her car, blasting music and speeding down the highway on her way back to Chicago. She knew that this was totally out of character for her but she was on a mission and only has so much time to complete it. She was moderately relaxed in the driver's seat, tapping her left foot to the beat of the music.

Finally, back in the city, she started to make her way to her apartment, but took a quick turn in the opposite direction. She parked in the garage and made her way to the elevators. Hearing the 'ping' announcing her arrival, she was greeted by the receptionist with a smile. She was on a mission; she didn't bother asking if Will was in. If he wasn't, she'd go to his place. Looking around she noticed people staring as she rushed by, but that didn't stop her because she had a one track mind at the moment: Finding Will. Turning the corner, she came face to face with the door. Alicia looked inside to see Will sitting there in his leather chair, gently tossing a baseball in the air and catching it. Instead of knocking, she entered, suddenly feeling extremely nervous.

She saw Will glance over and she witnessed the passing emotions that crossed his features settling on worried. "Alicia, what are you doing here? Is Grace okay?"

She just stared trying to hold back the rush of tears that suddenly overwhelmed her.

"Alicia?" Will called a little louder.

All she could so was nod. She didn't trust her voice—or what her mouth might say without her brain's approval.

"Then what are you doing here? You should be with your family." He turned his head towards the windows, still playing with the baseball in his hands.

Alicia couldn't stop staring at Will. From his hair to his profile, even his hands. She couldn't help herself. "We need to talk." Her voice raspy and full of emotion.

"Alicia. There's nothing to talk about, I meant what I said."

"If that's true then why have I been trying to get in touch with you?" She questioned, clearly irritated. "You won't answer my damn calls!" she screams at him.

Startled, Will dropped the ball and stood up. "Alicia, this… this isn't the place." He glanced out the window walls of his office towards the hallway, noticing some lingering staff members. "Let's go somewhere else, and we can talk." He said as his eyes shot a glance back at the staff who had been lingering.

She looked at Will, she hadn't taken her eyes off him, and she couldn't. She saw the worry still etched on his face, realizing that he was right; this wasn't the place to talk.

"Okay." She whispered, "My place, 30 minutes." Without waiting for a response, she turns on her heels and left his office. Leaving a stunned Will watching her retreat down the hallway.

Alicia continued walking; she didn't look back as she made her way to the elevators. She couldn't believe at how short she had been with him. Her body ached as she tried to hold in her emotions. She tried to clench and unclench her fists to see if that would calm her. Her mind wouldn't stop going in multiple directions to the nth degree.

Alicia entered her apartment and went straight to her bedroom. Stripping off her clothes, she hopped in for a quick shower. She sighed as she felt the warmth of the water pounding on her back, easing the tension out of her muscles. She tilted her head side to side, feeling the exhaustion start to creep up on her; turning around, she shut off the water and wrapped herself in an extra-large towel, trying to keep the warmth and calm in. Walking into the bedroom, she heard the constant knocking at her front door. _Crap. He came straight here_. She thought, rushing to get jeans.

"Coming!" She yelled from her room as she threw on a sweater. Rushing out, she opened the door to see the stone cold face of Will. Flinching when she met his eyes, she moved to the side, opening the door as a silent invitation to enter.

"What do you want to talk about that you felt the need to barge into my office and start making a scene?"

Alicia had shut the front door and moved towards the kitchen where he rested against the counter. "Will." She whispered, trying to figure out what to say. She took a step closer to Will, resting her hand on his forearm. "I have been trying to get in touch with you since you left the hospital." She tried to say calmly.

"That doesn't explain why you barged into my office," he stated, "or why you were so short with me."

Frustrated, Alicia removed her hand from his forearm and ran them through her still wet hair. "I was trying to keep myself from breaking down, that's why I was so short!" her voice raised. "As far as coming to your office, it was the only place you would be and since you weren't answering my calls, I had no choice." Alicia concluded. She noticed Will's face soften as she continued on her little angry rant. Feeling his hand on her arm helped calm her but also made her look into his eyes, seeing love and confusion mixed together.

"How's Grace?"

"She's being transferred back here."

"Did her levels go up?"

Alicia shook her head and stepped closer to Will, feeling his arms around her, she allowed her body to melt into his warmth.

"I'm sorry I left. I didn't want to cause more trouble for you with Peter."

He felt her laugh against him, "funny because you're the one I needed." She mumbled into his sweatshirt. After a minute, she pulled back, "we have to talk." She said, gazing at him. "Let me go grab something and I'll meet you in the living room." Will nodded, watching her walk into her bedroom.

Will looked around her apartment as he made his way towards the couch. _Did she really say that she needed me?_ He thought, smiling to himself. _She was so cold when she barged in—probably a combination of the situation and lack of sleep_. He was lost in thoughts when Alicia walked over and set a folder on the coffee table in front of them, before sliding onto the couch, a safe distance from him.

Alicia couldn't help but fidget, the two and a half hour drive didn't help her think about how to broach this subject, nor did the drive to her apartment, not even the shower. She glanced over at Will who was staring expectantly at her. "Are they going through with the transplant?" Will asked, turning his body to face her, leaning against the arm rest.

_It can't be that easy_, she thought. _He's giving me the perfect opening_. Before she her mind could scare herself, she started talking, "Not yet. They wanted to see if her liver will bounce back. The levels have been increasing, just slowly."

Will nodded with a pensive look on his face before asking, "Is Peter a match?"

Alicia continued to fidget. She couldn't believe how easy this conversation started, but she feared how it would end. Tears started sprouting as she grew more anxious. She felt Will's hand slide onto her leg, silently asking if she was okay. "No, he's not." She whispered, glancing over to see Will's reaction. Watching him nod, she knew that the meaning hadn't hit him yet. Before realization could strike, she reached for the folder, taking a small picture from it. As she stared at the picture, she couldn't help but smile.

Will sat there observing Alicia when a question just popped out. "How can Peter not be a match to Grace?" His voice tainted with his own nervousness.

Alicia continued to stare at the picture, not chancing a glance at Will. After several minutes, she spoke. "Remember when you came to Chicago for work? It was so good to see you. I had forgotten how much I missed you."

Will moved forward on the couch, towards her. "Alicia?" He whispered.

But she kept going. "I was stupid at Georgetown. I should have ended things with Peter. I could have lived without him. Though, I always felt partially empty each time I parted ways with you." She paused, swiping the tears falling down her cheeks. "That was until this holiday celebration." Finally, she looked at him, holding out the picture for him to take.

Will grabbed the picture between his fingers, feeling a weird sense of déjà vu. Several hours before he was staring at this photo in his apartment study.

"I need a drink, want something?" Alicia asked, standing from the couch. She didn't wait for an answer, before leaving the room. When she re-entered the room, she noticed that Will hadn't moved. Placing the shot glasses, limes and salt on the coffee table, she headed back into the kitchen to grab the bottle of tequila.

That's when Will's voice started, "How did you get this?"

She walked back in with the bottle and placed it on the table before sitting down next to Will. Studying his face, she saw something she hadn't seen in almost 20 years, he was terrified. She leaned in towards him, gently taking the picture from his hands and flipped it over. "Your mom sent it to me."

Will sat there, staring at his mom's handwriting.

Gardner Holidays 1996

January 10, 1997

Alicia, it was great to see you!

Love, Liz

_My mom sent her the same picture. Wait, it's not about the picture. The date_. He thought. Will's eyes went wide. "'Leesh?" Her old nickname rolling off his tongue.

She downed a shot before she looked at him. "There's a reason Peter isn't a match." She said as she poured tequila in both shot glasses. She downed another before reaching for the folder. Will just sat there like a statue. She pulled out a piece of paper and held it out for him. When he didn't take it from her, she turned her head seeing his eyes glassy with tears made her want to curl up with him and cry. "I had the realization after you had left, when the doc said that Peter wasn't a match. I inquired what made a match." She started, downing another shot. "That's why I was calling you." She reached out to him, sliding her hand into his, feeling the familiar jolt of electricity as they touched, made her look at their hands. "This," she waved with her hand, "Is a paternity test. Since he had the sample, the doctor took the liberty of running a paternity test on Grace. On the top is Grace's, the middle is Peter's, and the bottom is them overlapping each other." She sighed. "Except no points match."

Will reached a shaky hand out to reach for the paper. Staring wide-eyed at it for several minutes, he squeezed Alicia's hand. "Are… you… are you saying that…" he stuttered and trailed off. Alicia nodded slightly. "So… you… you want… me to be tested." He stuttered some more.

Alicia sighed, she didn't know what she wanted. She was still reeling from the knowledge herself. What did she want? How could she tell Grace or Peter?

It was a mixture of Will's voice and his thumb caressing the back of her hand that brought her back out of her brain's tangent. "Wait. This doesn't make sense…" he trailed off.

She looked over at him. "What doesn't?"

"The dates. They don't line up." His eyebrows furrowed, marking his confusion.

Alicia sighed, grabbed the paper from him and sat even closer to him—almost in his lap, "Usually the first pregnancy is the hardest. But for some reason, I was sick most of the time when I was pregnant with Grace. I had actually had to leave my job early because I couldn't spend hours at the office without getting sick and then take care of Zach and myself. I was seven and a half months pregnant when Peter found the letters and this picture." She had tears forming in her eyes. "He went on a tirade, yelling and screaming at me. He woke Zach up with his yelling but he wouldn't let me go comfort him. He ignored his own son to continue his tirade. He went as far as telling me that I was forbidden from conversing with you; that I would quit my job to become a stay at home mom to help his image." She tensed as Will stroked her arm. "I don't know if he suspected that I was cheating on him, we had difficulty dealing with each other after that night. Most nights we would yell and scream at each other, arguing over the smallest of things. One night, he stormed off to bed, when I started getting contractions. I called a friend, who doubled as a co-worker, she picked me up and took me to the hospital. Grace was born a few hours later. The stress from fighting caused early labor. A month early. That's why the dates don't line up."

Will sat there stroking her arm; trying to comprehend what has been said since he walked in. "Did you know…?" he started then faded, leaving the question lingering between them.

"I suspected at times, but didn't have any sort of confirmation." Her eyes met his and she was taken aback by what she saw—anger. "Will…" she started but he cut her off.

"What made you suspect?" Flustered, she tried to back away but he held her there, practically in his lap, "Please." He whispered.

"There was a connection that I had with her, a feeling that I didn't have with Zach. I attributed it to that she was a girl. And then as she grew, her features weren't as similar to Peter's, especially her hair." She stopped abruptly, gazing at Will, she reached her hand out running it through his hair. She felt like the world had stopped, that she was watching herself and Will sitting there on the couch. An out of body experience of sorts. Her heart sped up when he leaned into her hand. She didn't understand how this could feel so right under the current circumstances and after so much time had passed between them.

"Leesh." Will whispered, raising his hand to caress her cheek. Her heart fluttered when he said her old nickname. Will leaned forward, gently pulling her face towards him. The kiss was light and delicate but conveyed so much. Alicia froze for a millisecond, before deepening the kiss. Will let his hands slide down her back, pulling her closer to him. That's when Alicia pulled back, resting her forehead against his. "Will, we need to keep talking." His hand cupped her cheek, with his thumb gently caressing, he sighed, "You're right." He leaned in to pull her into a awkwardly positioned hug. Will sighed, "Are you going to tell her?"

Alicia immediately pulled back, "Of course we are!" her face in utter shock.

Will sat there staring at her, his heart pounding at the word 'we'. After the meaning of her response had set in his heart swelled with joy and hope but simultaneously ached. He pulled Alicia back in closer to him, resting his head against her shoulder as tears tried to escape.

Alicia felt the change in his body tension and realized what just hit him. "Will," she hesitated, but then felt his body wrack with sobs. She started running her hands along his back in attempt to calm him, whispering her mantra "I'm so sorry."

Alicia had tears streaming down her face, thinking about how she still manages to hurt him, but in a way that can never be fixed. She can't give him those years back, Grace's years. Will raised his head to see her tears, "Leesh." He whispered, thick with emotion. "I want to be tested." Sliding his hand onto her cheek to swipe away some of the tears. Alicia looked at him, smiling in response, leaning forward she pressed her lips to his.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here's the latest chapter! I'm sorry that it has been over a week since my last update. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter! More to come! Let me know what you think :) Happy Reading!

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Will woke with a start. The light filtering in through the window was brightening the room. Looking around, it took him a moment to realize that he was in Alicia's bedroom. That moment, he felt the weight against his side, looking down; he smiled when he saw Alicia curled into him, half splayed on top of him, their legs intertwined. He missed being able to see her morning beauty, without make-up and without worries etched across her face. He silently wished that he could wake up this way every morning. That was when the conversation from the previous night came flooding back to him. He dropped his head back to the pillow. I have a daughter. I have a daughter, with Alicia. He smiled as he thought. He absentmindedly started to caress the clothed arm of Alicia's that was across his torso.

Will glanced over at the clock, noting the time—7 AM. They had spent the night talking and comforting each other. Lots of talking, and even more comforting. He was still having trouble processing all that was said and discovered last night. His mantra of "I have a daughter… with Alicia" returned, spreading warmth throughout him. But that quickly faded when he thought about how confused she will be when they tell her. This is going to crush her. He thought. Alicia has mentioned on several occasions how sensitive Grace is, especially when it comes to her family. Will closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to make it easier on her, without causing an emotional upheaval. He shook his head when he realized how impossible that would be. Of course she is going to be emotional—we are going to be telling her that the person she has come to know and love as a father, isn't actually her father. He thought.

He felt movement, but it didn't quite reach his brain. Not until Alicia's hand started to caress his cheek. His eyes snapped open to see her smiling face. "Hey", she whispered, "why the long face?" Will closed his eyes as she continued to caress her thumb across his cheek. Leaning his head to the side, he grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on her palm. "Will?" concern invading her voice.

He cupped her cheek and started mimicking her actions. "Maybe…" he sighed, "Maybe we shouldn't tell Grace until she's better." He felt Alicia's movement stop, but she didn't withdraw her touch.

Alicia froze. She felt the prick of tears to come; she lay down, resting her head on the crook of his shoulder, his hand still resting on her cheek. "Why?"

That one word made Will feel guilty, but he forged through that guilt to explain. "You have mentioned a few times at how sensitive Grace is, especially when it comes to family matters." He started. "We are going to turn her whole family upside down, a family that she is used to, comfortable with and loves." He paused, debating whether to continue with his train of thought. Deciding that talking would be better than wondering, his voice eerily quiet, "Isn't that why you stayed with Peter after the scandal?" When he felt her try to move away, he held her to him. "You stayed with Peter for your kids, because you didn't want them being shuffled here and there for whichever weekend or holidays. I get that. But I don't want to turn her world upside down and cause her more pain than she's been through." Alicia made the attempt to say something, but Will held his hand up, "Let me finish. I will still get tested and offer to help if she needs a transplant, but it will say from an anonymous donor. And maybe when she has recovered, we can tell her."

There was silence in the room, his thumb caressed her cheek. They were both thinking, trying to think of a way to handle the situation. When the silence became too much, Will looked down at Alicia, seeing the lines creased on her forehead, he knew that she was still thinking, thinking of what was best for everyone. But he knew there was at least two people who were going to be hurt, Grace for sure, and either Peter or himself. What he couldn't see was the tears that were silently streaming down her cheek onto his shirt. "No."

"Alicia…"

"Will, I have hurt you enough for more than one lifetime. I can't give you back the years you have missed with her; and I'm not going to let you miss another day. She is your daughter. It may take time to build a relationship, but that's all the more reason to tell her now." She paused, tracing the letters on his shirt. "I will tell her. I have a lot of explaining to do. "

He sighed, and thought of another obstacle, one that was going to be much harder to deal with. "How are you going to tell Peter?"

It was her turn to sigh. "With the truth."

He pulled her closer to him, "I want to be there when you tell—"

"No." she popped up, shaking her head, "No, I don't want him to hurt you."

His arms reached up, trying to pull her back down. "I don't like how aggressive he was with me at the hospital; I would rather be there so he doesn't lay a hand on you."

Alicia shook his head, "He wouldn't."

Will pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "I still want to be there." He murmured.

Alicia didn't have a chance to answer when someone started knocking on the apartment door. Rushing out of bed, she looked back at Will and smiled sadly, "I'll need to shut the door." He nodded as she reached the door, softly closing it behind her.

Straightening out her clothes, she looked in the mirror before answering the door, surprised to see Owen.

"Hey Sis!"

"Owen. What're you doing here?"

"Well, let's see, Zach called me to tell you that Grace has been transferred. When he said he couldn't get a hold of you or Will. I tried. When I couldn't, I came over."

"When was she transferred?"

Owen looked at his phone, "uhh, about four hours ago?"

Alicia became anxious and guilty that she hadn't been there when her daughter arrived. "Peter was supposed to call me when they were leaving." Her voice coming out more frustrated.

"Well… Zach did say Peter called you but you didn't answer." Owen said, as she left the door open with him standing in it, to go hunt for her phone. Grabbing her purse, she dumped out the contents, not having the patience to fish through it. Letting out a frustrated groan, she thought about where else her phone could be. She wandered around trying to retrace her steps from last night. _My coat!_ She thought and walked into her bedroom, her step faltered when she saw a smiling Will, playing a game on her computer.

"Looking for something?"

She could help but smile back. "Yes, actually." Leaning down, she kissed him, and then continued. "I'm looking for my coat… no, my phone that is in my coat."

Will nodded. "Are you okay?"

Alicia grabbed her coat off the back of the chair that Will was sitting on. Sliding her hand into the pocket, her fingers met with her phone

"Grace has been transferred. She's here in Chicago."

"What? When?" Will turned around, looking imploringly at Alicia.

"Four hours ago." Her anger seeping into her voice. "Peter was supposed to call me."

Will's brow furrowed, "Then who's here?"

Alicia let out a frustrated sigh when she realized how many missed calls and voicemails she had. "He did call."

"Alicia?" Will called as she sat down on the bed.

"I just wanted to be there when she arrived."

Will was about to say something when the door suddenly opened. "You weren't kidding on the phone, were you?" Owen said, holding the piece of paper in his hand.

"Owen…" Alicia started, darting a glance at Will, who shrugged at her silent question.

Looking over where his sister glanced to, he saw Will sitting on the computer chair, facing Alicia. "Oh, hi Will." The surprised coming through Owen's voice.

Alicia stood up, "How about we all head out to go to the hospital." She suggested, trying to ignore Owen's curious glances.

"That sounds like a good idea." Owen smiled. "But I'm still waiting for an answer." He waves the paper in the air as he heads out of the room.

"Are you going to tell him?" his voice small.

Alicia nodded as she walked over to the closet to grab some fresh clothes. "He already kind of knows. He called when I was at the hospital. He just doesn't know that it's been confirmed." She paused, making her way to her bathroom, "I'll be right back, do you want to come with us?" She saw him nod and tossed him a clean shirt before walking into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar.

Will smiled as he felt the soft shirt in his hands, it was his, from Georgetown. He changed and then thought about her question. "I still want to be tested, in case she needs…" his voice faded. He felt a pull at his heart as he thought about what he was about to do.

She came out of the bathroom in fresh clothes and a calmer demeanor. She smiled slightly at the shirt and responded. "We will deal with that if the time comes. Let's focus on telling Grace and getting you tested." She rested her hand on his arm for a brief moment before walking out of the room.

Will didn't take another minute before grabbing his sweatshirt and heading out of her bedroom.

"There's my rebellious big sister!" Owen said as Alicia and Will walked into the living room.

Alicia just rolled her eyes, "Let's go Owen." She grabbed the folder, and picked the paper from Owen's fingers.

"I'm still waiting." Owen said.

Annoyed, Alicia turned around and starred at Owen. "You will find out soon enough, so just drop it right now."

Will placed his hand on her arm. "Let's go see Grace." He ushered them out of Alicia's apartment.

In the car, Alicia felt guilty for what she said to Owen. He knew how to push her buttons but the fact was, she didn't want to admit anything to him just yet—at least not until Grace knew. She deserved that much. Owen always liked to poke fun at her for her rebellious moments that were few and far between; she knew that. She also knew that he would never let her hear the end of it once it was confirmed to him; he would bask in the glory of 'I told you so' statement. She had always brushed off her feelings for Will whenever Owen asked, especially about Georgetown because she knew that he never had a relationship that lasted longer than a roll between the sheets. She couldn't do it. Only one night. Only one night, with Will. But she did just that four years later and Owen would never let her live that down.

"Alicia, we're here."

She shook her head, "Sorry, was just thinking." She reached for the door handle right when Owen started talking. "I'm sorry that I kept pushing. I know you have a lot going on right now—but I want you to be able to talk to me. Especially considering who has been with you." He finished, his eyes darting to Will, who stood at the hood of Alicia's car.

Alicia smiled. "There is a lot going on. I will talk to you about it—you just need to let me handle some things first." And with that she exited the car.

They walked into the hospital's entrance, letting Owen lead the way. Will's hand sought out Alicia's as they walked deeper into the hospital. He leaned in to her, whispering, "Where do I get tested?"

Alicia gave him a weak smile and led him over to the hospital directory and pointed to the name of the department. "Do you want me to join you?" Her eyes expressing concern and love.

With a shake of his head, he started his journey down a different hallway. Leaving Alicia to run to catch up to Owen who was already waiting at the elevator.

Owen glanced over at her when she stood beside him. "Were those paternity results?"

When Alicia looked at him, she saw concern and worry emanating from his eyes. She thought better of it but found herself giving a slight nod in confirmation. Clearly her mind and body weren't cooperating today.

When the elevator arrived, they walked in and leant against the back of it. "What are you going to do?"

She was shocked when he didn't make a witty remark about the newly confirmed information.

"Time to tell Grace." She whispered

Owen nodded, sliding his hand against hers

When the elevator arrived at the floor, Peter was the first one to greet them. Shock written on his face. "I was just coming to see if you were okay."

Alicia nodded, giving Peter a hug before leading him in the opposite direction Owen was going. "Can we talk?"

"Alicia, I'm sorry about how I treated Will. I do appreciate that he drove you down. I was just upset that he wouldn't leave to give me time with you and the kids."

Finding a pair of chairs, she sat down. "That's not what this is about. But I appreciate you saying that. I was going to talk to Grace first, but I think that I need to tell you." Her voice tense. She observed him from her chair. He had clearly seen better days. He had bags under his eyes, wrinkled clothes, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. Her heart started to ache when she realized what this would do to him—the anguish and agony that it would cause him—both personally and professionally. She dropped her bag onto the floor and reached into it to retrieve the folder. "When we were in Indianapolis, I was going through the situation in my head about what we could do and what could happen with Grace. After Zach got upset and left the room because of your altercation with Will, I had gone down to talk with him. It was short because he wanted to see Grace. I stayed down there to take in the whole situation and it got me thinking…" she started to fade off. She felt a wave of uncertainty as she looked at Peter. Uncertain of his reaction. Uncertain of her control over the situation.

Peter started shaking his head, "Alicia, we shouldn't do this here."

Confusion erased what she was preparing to say when she heard Peter. "Do what?" her heart speeding up.

Peter shook his head, "You left early to get divorce papers?" he pointed to the folder in her hands.

Alicia let out a breath that she was holding, feeling herself tremble in anticipation. She knew this was her best chance of telling him. Her only chance really, because once she tells Grace, they will all know. She shook her head at Peter. "That's not what this is about. When I was mulling over the situation, I thought of how I'm only a slight match for Grace." After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she continued. "I sought out Dr. Leavitt and asked him if he could explain to me what amounts to a match. He went into a long explanation that I'll spare you from. Basically a match is confirmed between similar DNA and antibodies. He thought something was off when he received your results back, so he ran your sample again, adding in another test." She slid a piece of paper out of the folder and handed it over to him.

Alicia felt calm, definitely the calm before the storm. She kept from fidgeting and kept her eyes glued to Peter. She watched as his face expressed confusion. "I don't understand, we already know I'm not a match."

Alicia shifted on her seat; she could feel the storm slowly approaching. "The top data are your DNA markers, the middle are Grace's, and the bottom is the overlap of them. Dr. Leavitt explained to me that both parents are matches, there's just a varying degree of confirmation; meaning that at least some of Grace's markers should match yours." She quietly stated.

"But none of them match." He said, still staring at the paper, becoming more confused. Peter stood up and started pacing in the hallway. "Are you telling me that I'm… I'm not…" he trailed off. Peter's eyes lifted to meet Alicia's, seeing her give a nod, tears started forming in his eyes. "Impossible. That means you…" he stopped, anger building. Alicia felt as though she could see the last piece of the puzzle falling into place. She tensed, preparing herself for his rage and anger. But all she heard was a whisper. "You cheated on me." Alicia physically flinched, it wasn't a question, it was a statement. She was expecting anger and rage. Him bellowing and screaming at her. She didn't expect a whisper.

Alicia's heart sank as the silence hung between them. She was at a loss at what to say. _Explain to him how it happened? No, that would surely rub salt into an open bleeding wound. Say it was a mistake? No. That would be a lie. I am so sick of omissions, lies and this façade that we have established. _She thought.

Peter sat back down in the chair across from her. "Who?"

She stared at him, unsure whether to respond. "Peter…" she said warningly.

"Don't Peter me." He stated. "I want to know who you slept with." His voice rising.

"Please Peter, let's go elsewhere to continue this."

"No! I want to know, now!"

She flinched at his tone. "All I wanted to do was inform you before I tell Grace."

"You are NOT telling Grace about this!" his voice boomed, echoing in the hallway.

Alicia looked around, noticing some nurses who were looking their way. Peter took advantage of the distraction to move closer to her. He placed his hands against the armrests. "You are not telling Grace until you tell me who." He whispered closer to her, causing her to whip her head around. Alicia moved back against the chair, leaning away from Peter. She could see the anger and betrayal in his eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, afraid of what he might do. He kept staring at her, pain etched on his face. "Tell me who Alicia." He yelled at her.

When Alicia shook her head, she flinched when she saw him move his hand. A shout of her name from the end of the hallway caused Peter to look up. Alicia didn't dare turn around; she kept her eyes on Peter, watching a scowl cross over his face. She already knew who was there by his voice. She would always be able to recognize his voice. "Well, look who's here to save the damsel in distress!" Peter exclaimed. "I thought I told you that this isn't your family." Peter said, moving away from the chair towards Will.

Alicia quickly picked up her purse and moved away from Peter, still worried about his continued reaction.

Peter glanced from Will to Alicia, back to Will and then back to Alicia with that look of betrayal again. "You screwed him." Peter's voice even quieter than the previous time.

It only took a second for Alicia to walk over and stand by Will. "No." She said. "I let him love me." Stating it in such a way to get her point across.

"You slept with my wife." Once again making a statement.

Will felt the urge to confirm Peter's statement but Alicia's hand had stopped him. She rested it on his forearm, sensing what he wanted to do. There was no need, Peter got the point. Grace wasn't his daughter.

It was Alicia who spoke. "I am telling her Peter. She deserves to know. Just because she knows, doesn't mean it will change her view or feelings for you."

Alicia stepped over to pick up the test results and place them back in the folder. She started walking down the hallway that Owen had wandered down earlier. It didn't take long to find Grace's room due to Owen's obnoxious laughter.

Will had followed her down the hallway, a few steps behind her. When she paused just outside the room, she felt Will's hand rest on her shoulder. "Do you want to stay out here?" she whispered.

"No, I'll be in the cafeteria." And with that response, he turned and started walking down towards the elevators.

Alicia gave him a small smile as he walked back down the hallway. Her eyes caught sight of Peter. He was sitting in the chair she had vacated, with his head in his hands, no doubt trying to process what had just transpired.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I know there are a few faithful readers out there who are really enjoying this story, but I would like to know what people think. I know I have slowed down the updates (you can thank the holidays for that). This is another long chapter. Let me know what you think! Happy Reading!**

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Alicia felt nervous, she was sitting on her daughter's bed. She couldn't stop the start of tears as she looked at her daughter. A product of her and Will. She had released Owen of watching her kids and put him on the task of making sure that Peter didn't kill Will. She glanced at Zach, who was fiddling with his phone. She wanted him here so he could hear what she had to say. She knows that they would have similar yet different reactions to this news. Her mind kept swirling with thoughts until Grace's voice brought her back, "Mom, are you okay?"

She shook her head, her stomach churning at the thought of what she was about to do. "I need to talk to the two of you about something important."

"You and dad are getting divorced. We kind of already figured that out." Zach said with a shrug. "We want you to be happy."

Alicia sat there, her shocked gaze darting back and forth between her kids. "Well, we are separated, but we haven't discussed divorce yet." She spoke softly, still in a state of shock. "That's not what I wanted to talk about." Her chest hurt and she didn't know how she could protect them from this. This was her error, her fault. "Well, as we know, Grace, you may need a transplant. We have all been tested and the results are in."

She watched as they both nodded. She started fidgeting with her hands, wondering if she was approaching this subject the best way possible. She didn't want to hurt them with this new news but she knew that it needed to be confessed.

"I asked Dr. Leavitt about what makes a match. He said it consists of a blood match and a match of antibodies. And there are varying degrees to a match. I'm only a slight match, whereas Zach isn't a match." She smiled weakly, but forged on. "But something else that Dr. Leavitt told me is that both parents are usually matches—at different degrees." She paused, reaching over to the chair, pulling the folder back to her with a shaky hand. She was trying to give them time to absorb what she has said. "Dr. Leavitt also ran another test on Peter's sample in comparison with yours, Grace." Alicia looked down at Grace who looked confused, then at Zach who seemed to already connect the dots. She moved closer to Grace, holding the paper in her hand. "These are the results. The top data is Peter's, the middle is yours. And the bottom is an overlap of both. This shows that there are no alleles in common."

At that moment, everything clicked. "Dad… Dad…isn't…my…dad?" Alicia heard Grace whisper each word in horrified shock. "Mom! How…how..what?" she stuttered as she started to cry.

Alicia wrapped her an arm around her and held her daughter. Alicia motioned for Zach to come onto the bed, after a moment he did. Her heart felt like it was bleeding from all the pain she has cause her children. She stayed there, huddled on the bed with her children. Grace continued to cry and Alicia saw the evil darting stares that he was shooting her way. It was several minutes later when Grace had calmed down, Zach was the one to voice the silent question. "You cheated on dad."

But before she could respond, Grace looked up at her, with red puffy eyes, "Who…who is my dad?" her voice quiet.

Alicia looked down at Grace, who had tears welling in her eyes again. Alicia's heart ached knowing that she was the reason for this pain. She couldn't decide if she should just tell her or explain. She decided to let her decide. "I can tell you who, if you want me to. If you don't want to know, that's fine too. It's up to you Grace."

"Who?" She whispered.

Alicia sighed, she wished there was an easier way of presenting this to her. She wrapped her arms tighter around her daughter as she exhaled. "Your father is Will." She closed her eyes not wanting to see the disappointment in her children's eyes. She felt Grace tense in her arms. She opened her eyes when she felt a hand pushing her abdomen. She looked down at Grace, who was crying again and started slapping Alicia in the abdomen, screaming. Repeatedly.

"Grace." Alicia whispered, threading a hand through her hair. It wasn't until Grace slapped her hand away that she saw how hurt her daughter was.

"Leave! I don't want to talk to you. Or see you!" Alicia physically flinched from Grace's words as she felt tears streaming down her face. Her heart clenching. Alicia moved off the bed, glancing to see Zach moving onto the bed to hold Grace. Alicia walked out of the room in a fog. Her heart raced so fast that she moved her hand over her heart, hoping to calm it down.

The tears kept flowing as she realized just how much pain she inflicted on her daughter. Of course Grace was upset at her and furiously yelling at her. Alicia could hear Grace's voice echoing in her head. _Leave. I don't want to talk to you. Or see you!_ She heard ringing in her head like a broken record, stuck on the same groove. Saying the same thing. She leant against the wall, still holding her hand over her heart as she crumbles to the ground. She tries to take in a breath, but finds it increasingly difficult. She starts to feel as though she's suffocating. _Leave! I don't want to talk to you!_ She buried her face in her hands and allowed herself to finally break down. She just let everything pour out of her. The tears flowed from all the pain that she has caused the people she loves. The pain that Grace and Will have to go through to gain a relationship, a bond that they should have had a long time ago. The pain that she caused Zach, probably changing his perception of her because of what has been revealed. And even the pain that she caused Peter. Her body tenses as she recalls the pain and anguish that she went through when she found out that he slept with Kalinda. She wept for the amount of pain that she has caused the people she loves.

She didn't realize how much time had passed by until she felt as hand on her shoulder. She looked up with a tear-stained face. She looked at the person and could see the pain in his eyes, but she was surprised to also see concern there too. She watched as he kneeled next to her, "Grace wants to ask you some questions." Zach took as seat next to her and leant against the wall.

Alicia turned to look at her son. "You and I will set time aside to talk and I'll answer your questions, okay? You and Grace are my priorities." When she saw a ghost of a smile on Zach's face, she leaned in to kiss his temple and stood.

She stood at the door, looking through the little window at her daughter. She suddenly looked so mature and grown-up. _When did this happen?_ She thought. She had felt guilty about what had occurred but now as she looked at her teenage daughter through the window, she couldn't help but feel happy. She quietly opened the door. "Grace," she started, "Zach said you had some questions for me."

"Come on in mom."

She walked in and stood at the foot of her bed, afraid to scare her again to want her to leave. She let the ball stay in Grace's court, allowing her to call the shots. Alicia knew that she owed her that and so much more. Her nerves started to get the best of her, afraid at the thought that her daughter may end up hating her because of all this. She could see the tear tracks on her daughter's cheeks, which surely matched her own.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to behave like that."

Alicia's heart broke a little bit more. "Grace, sweetie, you had every reason to behave that way. I can't say that it didn't hurt, but you just found out life altering news." Alicia said as she moved to the chair.

"Did you know all along?"

Alicia watched as her daughter's eyes flickered to her, then back to her lap. "No. I just found out a few hours ago myself." She whispered, casting her eyes down.

Grace tilted her head to the side, resting it on the pillow. "Can I ask you a question?"

Alicia smiled softly, "Anything."

She watched as Grace closed her eyes, "Can you tell me how…how…you and Will…" She struggled to get out.

Alicia rested her hand on Grace's forearm, "Of course, but why the sudden 180?"

"Zach was telling me how nice Will was when you three were waiting for me to come out of surgery." Grace shrugged. "He said he wished Will could have been his father."

Alicia was speechless hearing what Grace was saying. She didn't know how to respond to that. She was astonished that just Zach saying that much to her, convinced her to change her behavior and to be open minded. Alicia gathered herself together. "So you want to hear the story?" Leaning her elbows onto he knees.

Grace nodded and moved over in bed as a silent invitation for her mother to join her.

Alicia got settled next to Grace, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, "Where do you want me to begin?"

"From the beginning." She smiled slightly.

Alicia smiled and started off. "We met at Georgetown. We were best friends. But by graduation, we were barely speaking. Peter didn't like that I was friends with Will, and Will didn't like that I was engaged to Peter. So after graduation, Peter and I moved here, to Chicago. Both busy with jobs and planning the wedding that neither Will nor I tried to resurrect our friendship. Fast forward three year after that, Zach was born, I was trying to juggle being a mom and a professional. Peter and I started arguing and fighting over whether I should work or not. I wanted to continue working, I love the law and I didn't want to quit. I wanted to compromise. There was a day where Peter and I were out having a late lunch because he was waiting for a jury verdict to return. He ended up being summoned back to the courthouse in the middle of our meal. To my surprise, Will was at the same restaurant with a client that he was helping out here. He sat down with me and we got to talking, catching up and I realized how much I missed him. So when he went back to Baltimore, we started to rekindle our friendship. We started speaking on the phone occasionally. We even wrote a few letters back and forth. Well in January, Peter got angry when he saw the phone bill. He cornered me in the kitchen, demanding that I tell him who I was calling in Baltimore. Well, I left when he started telling me who I wasn't allowed to be friends with. I went out for a drive." She smiled weakly. "I ended up in the parking garage by my work. So I wandered to the bar down the street."

"You went to a bar, to think?" Grace laughed.

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Probably not the best place but a park wasn't an option in January. I ended up sitting next to this drunk couple who seem to be catching up with friends. The woman bumped into me when she was leaving; the man who arrived a while after had apologized for her. When I realized I recognized the voice, I had looked over—and there was Will. He had just arrived in town for his family holiday celebration. His mom moved out here several years ago." Alicia paused when she felt her shirt become damp, looking down, she saw Grace crying. "Hey, sweetie. I can stop if it's too much." She watched as Grace shook her head. Alicia slid her hand under her daughter's chin. "I'm so sorry about this sweetheart." She heard Grace ask her to continue, so she did. "Will and I spent the rest of the night talking, catching up. He had called the house two days later, inviting me to his family's holiday celebration. I went with him once when we were at Georgetown. I told Peter that I needed a night off and that I was going to Owen's. "

Grace had become quiet as Alicia continued. Now that Alicia paused, she could tell that Grace was thinking. She always had this look on her face, trying to sort things out in her mind. Nothing like Will's poker face.

"Did you love him?"

"Do I love Peter?" Alicia asked, confused.

Grace's head dipped down, when she mumbled. "No, Will. Did you love Will?"

Alicia looked down at her daughter, hearing those words come from her mouth wanted to make her cry. She searched for stability all her life, overlooking an important aspect of life: love. "Yes, I did." She sighed. "There are a lot more stories here and there over the years about Will and I, and I will share them with you eventually. I don't think right now is the right time." She breathed, feeling Grace nod against her.

"One more question."

"Anything, sweetheart."

"Can you tell me about Will?"

Alicia sat there stunned, she felt as though a ton of bricks hit her all at once. She had not been prepared for Grace to become comfortable enough to ask about Will. Her heart swelled, thinking that everything could actually turn out okay after all.

"Mom?"

Alicia hummed as she heard her daughter call her. "Of course, what do you want to know?"

"Do I look like him?" she asked quietly.

"Close your eyes for a second. I'll tell you when to open them." Alicia reached over to the chair where the folder rests, she snatched it, grabbing the picture. She cupped one of her daughter's hands, placing the photo in her hand. "You can open when you are ready to."

"What is it?" Grace asked with her eyes still closed.

"A picture." Alicia smiled as she watched Grace peek out at the picture while still trying to keep her eyes closed. But Alicia guessed her curiosity won out because Grace's eyes were wide, taking in the picture. She watched as Grace turned the picture over, reading the information on the back.

"Who's Liz?"

"Will's mom."

"So my grandmother?"

Alicia sighed as she realized even more people were going to be affected by this, including Liz and Jackie. "Yes." Alicia started pointing to people in the photo and explaining who they are.

Grace turned a little and glanced at her mom then back at the picture. "You look happy in the photo." She started. "I don't think I've seen your smile that bright around dad."

Alicia smiled slightly, resisting the urge to confirm how happy she was there, that day with Will. She observed her daughter admire the picture, gently putting her fingers of the people in the photo. Alicia started to relax, watching Grace handle this so much better than she expected her to. She couldn't believe the maturity and open-mindedness Grace displayed today. She was proud of her daughter. Alicia rested her head against Grace's, staring at the photo. "You do look like him. Your beautiful hair and eyes." Alicia whispered.

"Really?" She asked as she tried to glance up at her mom.

"Yes, really." Alicia said with a laugh.

"I always thought it was strange that you and da—Peter…" Alicia heard the confusion in her voice as she faded off.

"I'm sure Peter won't mind you still calling him dad." She said, planting a kiss on top of her daughter's head. "Go on."

Grace took in a deep breath before continuing. "Both you and…dad have dark hair, even Zach has dark hair—but I have light brown hair." She said. "I know about recessive and dominant genes and all that, but it still didn't make sense to me." She sighed. "But now, looking at this picture, it's like the puzzle is complete."

They sat there quietly for several minutes before there was a knock at the door. Zach peeked his head in, "Mom," he started, "can you come out for a second?" he asked, clearly uncomfortable. Alicia looked down at Grace, who nodded and with that Alicia smiled and moved off the bed.

"Zach, want to keep Grace company for a bit?" She asked as she moved closer to the door.

"That sounds much more pleasant than the alternative." He smiled as she exited.

The moment she stepped into the hallway, she understood the reason for her son interrupting them. Will stood propped up against the wall and Peter sat in a chair against the opposite wall.

"I swear, I tried to keep the peace!" she heard Owen say as she looked back and forth between the two men. "I went to the bathroom for three minutes, apparently that was enough." Owen laughed a little.

Alicia glanced at Owen, then to Will, taking in his black eye, then to Peter, who was icing his hand. "This isn't funny Owen." She whispered. She turned to her husband, "Seriously Peter." She continued the whispering, too afraid to get any louder. Peter was about to say something, probably to defend himself when Alicia held up her hand. "I don't want to hear it Peter. I'm done. You should probably go speak to Eli, unless you want me to."

Peter stood up, shaking his head. "No, I want to see Grace."

Alicia laughed. She actually thought that was funny. Well that and what she was about to say. "Do you really think that's a good idea? You're icing your hand. Do you think she won't notice and ask what you did? Do you really want to tell her that you punched her father?" She continued to smile, but that was wiped off her face when she heard the sound of skin on skin, and the radiating pain originating from her cheek.

"He," pointing to Will, "is not her father. I am. I raised her."

Alicia stood there in shock, tears welling in her eyes from the pain. She quickly overcame the shock, and belted loose, "You did not raise her, I did. I was the one home all the time, raising both of them!" She yelled, watching as Owen pushed Peter back against the wall. Will came to her side, "are you okay?" he slid his hand under her chin, not wanting to touch her cheek.

"I'm fine." She said brushing Will off. "Peter, you need to inform Eli. Before someone else gets wind of this and releases it. It would look better coming from you." She stood there observing Peter as Owen stood next to him, blocking his access to Grace's room and herself. It took several moments but he held his hands up in defeat. She watched as he retreated down the hallway.


End file.
